Harry Potter, Astra Knight andthePhoenixOrderTimes
by Ehren Hatten
Summary: Harry recieves a letter from a strange girl in America and she becomes an exchange student to Hogwarts. Poor Harry is a prefect and has to deal with the repercussions of Voldemort trying to sabotage everything at School. COMPLETE!
1. Dear Sir or Madame

Harry Potter   
Astra Knight  
  
and the  
  
The Phoenix Order  
Times  
  
------------------------  
By:Ehren Hatten |  
------------------------  
  
WARNING: Please do read this as I have worked hard trying to get ENOUGH information on the Order of the Phoenix to just b able to WRITE this and Draw it out, so be kind and please stay with it. Yes… It is an actual crossover so both my own character and Harry will SHARE the spotlight.  
  
Again… I tell you this for your own understanding instead of letting you write this off as another half-assed attempt to place a Mary Sue inside a story, for which all my dreams will there fore be done and Mary Sue will steal the spotlight from everyone, making the story one HELL of a boring trip.  
  
Trust me… I've been cultivating Astra for a very long time and this is the best incarnation of her yet.  
  
If you think that this is another Mary Sue… You know… the ones where you already know that she is going to save the day and out-perfect Hermione, …. Ask my friends… they will all tell you the same thing…. She is the coolest they have ever seen and that she is most UNPREDICTABLE one they've ever read about as well.  
  
You know what…. I think I've ranted enough… just read the fricken story already! :P  
  
-------------------  
Chapter One |  
-------------------  
  
  
  
Astra Knight was an odd girl of sixteen. She didn't know how to drive yet, nor was she ever going to learn. She was also half elf. She had long blonde hair and blue-gray eyes. She was fairly muscular and was very tall. She looked as if she were much older tha she truly was.  
  
She was walking around her street out side with her pet changeling Skywise. He generally stayed in the form of a black cat, but he had two other forms as well. A large black owl and a black snake, which she could speak to.  
  
That was when a tall man with long, matted black hair and pale skin walked up to her. He lifted his face to look at her. No words came from her mouth as she stared at the man. He was good looking to say the least, he had blue eyes that were the color of night. She blushed as she realized she had been staring at him too long. "Um… Hola…?"  
  
The man took out a white, feathery bundle wrapped in a blanket and held it out to her. "Take it… I know you will take good care of her. When she is healthy again, send her back to her owner." His voice was low and husky. It sent a chill down her spine. He reminded her of an older version of her boyfriend.  
  
She took the animal and cradled it in her arms. She opened the blanket and look down at it. It was a lovely snowy owl and it looked as if it were exhausted. She looked back up to say something to the man, but he had disappeared. She looked sown at Skywise and he seemed to convey his own confusion.  
  
She ran back inside her house and up the stairs. She nearly ran into her sister, Avalon, as she ran to her room. "Watch where yer going, Astra!" grumbled Avalon.  
  
Astra closed her door and went over to her desk. She cleared all of the pens and the computer paper she used to draw on. She pushed away the mechanical pencil and her ruler that she used to draw her comics. She set the owl on the desk and turned off the light.   
  
Soon, she had the owl in a small basket where she was getting rest and food was near her. Astra stood up and walked over to her bed and sat down. She stared at the wall for a full minute, remembering the man that had given the owl to her.   
  
She felt the same chill go down her spine as she thought of Leon Wilheilm. His black hair, the pale skin and those eyes. The eyes that always scared her with their intensity. The man had those very same eyes. She cupped a hand over mouth as she leaned forward and cried silently.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A couple of weeks later, she had nursed the owl back to health, with the help of Skywise and her best friend, Nevaeh Ives. The owl nipped affectionately at her finger as she wrote a letter. "That's a good girl…." She cooed to the owl.  
  
Astra tied the letter to the owl's leg and opened her window. She held to owl aloft on her arm and let the owl nip her arm near where the owl's claws were biting into her skin. "Now… you should be able to go to your master now… and remember… be more careful when you fly… take breaks when you have to."  
  
The owl seemed to understand her. She hooted softly at Astra and the took off out the window. When the owl was finally out of sight, Astra sat down at her desk once again. She looked to Skywise, who was now in snake form and he slithered up her leg and up her chest to wrap himself around her neck and lay lazily on her shoulders. He slithered into one of her pointed ears. "I have a feeling that this isssss not the lasssssst time we will ssssssssse that owl…."  
  
"No shit Sherlock, ya wanna try that again…?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Harry Potter wasn't your average fifteen-year-old boy. He was when it came to his hormones, but he wasn't even normal in appearance. He was tall now and thin, with a muscle structure starting to show on his body. He had short, black hair that was always messy. His eyes were an amazing emerald green and she wore circular glasses. His odd feature was his lightning-bolt shaped scar that was in the middle of his forehead. He was also a wizard in training.   
  
He sat solemnly at his desk. His pet snowy owl, Hedwig, was still out. She had been out for nearly a month when he had sent a letter to his godfather Sirius Black. He knew the Sirius was still not pardoned for his "crimes", so he knew that Sirius would get his letter and write back in due time. It was worrying Harry, however, on the length of time it was taking Hedwig to get back.  
  
He flipped through his photo album of pictures of his parents when they were alive. It always gave him some kind of peace when he looked through it. He needed it desperately now, though. He could still see Cedric Diggory getting hit by the Avada Kedavra curse playing over and over again in his head.  
  
He tried to think of Cho Chang and all her beauty, but he just kept seeing Cedric. He growled in frustration and threw his parchments off of the desk. "Damn it! It should have been me!" he growled as he hit the desk with his fist.  
  
That was when he heard a faint tapping on his window. He looked up with teary green eyes at the window. It was Hedwig and she had three letters tied to her leg. Harry jumped up and unlatched the window. "Hedwig!"  
  
She flew inside and landed gracefully on his desk. She held out her leg for him to take the letters off. He did so and looked through the letters as Hedwig flew to her cage. He watched her as she ate some food that he had left for her. He smiled at her. The last time she was there, she had looked very tired, but the moment he finished the letter he wrote to Sirius, she flew off with it tied to her leg without a second glance.   
  
He looked at the mail. A letter from Hermione Granger was on top. Hermione was a muggle born witch with a talent for information and keeping things organized. He opened it.   
  
Dear Harry,  
  
I have been having a nice time here in Bulgaria. Viktor's family is so nice and Bulgarian. It's cold here however and I miss being home, terribly. I've been trying to write Ron, but he won't write anything back. Could you help?  
  
Anyway, I was writing to tell you that I hope to see you and Ron soon.   
  
Love,  
Hermione  
  
  
Harry got out his quill and some parchment.   
  
Dear Hermione,  
  
I am glad that you are having a good time over there. I miss you and am very sure Ron does as well. If he doesn't start writing you soon, I'll sick Fred, George, Ginny and his mother on him.  
  
Love,   
Harry  
  
  
  
He folded it up and went to the next letter. It was a letter from Sirius. Harry opened it and frantically started reading it.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
I'm sorry if this comes late. I'm in America right now, gathering allies, and I haven't been able to write. Please make sure that Hedwig gets plenty of rest this time. I know she's stubborn, but I had to let someone nurse her back to health before she found me again.  
  
Love,  
Sirius  
  
  
Harry took out another piece of parchment and wrote on it. When he had finished, he folded it up and placed it with Hermione's. Harry then went to the last letter. Harry stared at the envelope. It was odd. It was regular parchment, but it had a peculiar little drawing of a girl on the front of it. It was drawn in an unfamiliar style to him. The writing was hurried, and precise. It wasn't like Hermione's was precise, but it looked as if it was done by someone who had studied how to write perfectly for most of his or her life.  
  
He opened the letter. The ink was an odd shade of purple. And he could distinctly see calligraphy for the header.  
  
To whomever this letter gets to,  
  
I am but a sixteen year old girl who so happened to come upon yer little birdie here. I'm not about to go into detail about it, really.   
The reason that I am writing to you at all is to say hi and here's yer bird and all that. I am also wondering…..  
  
Would you like to be my penfriend? I'm bored here in Austin, Texas and was wondering if you would just like to write me every now and then. You know… tell me what yer life is like and get yer troubles off of ya. I'm pretty good at that.  
  
Have a Nice Day!  
Astra Knight  
  
  
Harry was intrigued. He had never actually talked to a person from America before, let alone a girl. He got out a piece of parchment and wrote. When he was done, he folded up the letter and placed it with the other letters.   
  
He was about to stand up and walk to his bed, when Hedwig landed on his desk. She glared at him angrily. "No, Hedwig… yor staying right here for the night. I don't want you getting yorself hurt because of exhaustion."  
  
Hedwig flapped her wings at him angrily and flew to her cage, where she sulked. Harry stood and stretched. He went to his wardrobe and opened it. He got out his pajamas and took off his clothes. He put on his pajamas and went to his bed. He looked over at Hedwig and smiled. "Goodnight, Hedwig…"  
  
Hedwig hooted gruffly and went back to sulking. Harry took off his glasses and turned off the light. "A penfriend. I've never had a penfriend before…."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A couple of weeks went by and Harry had told Astra about himself and everything that he did in England. There wasn't much to tell her about. He didn't want to scare her with the Voldemort part of all of it and didn't want to tell her that he was the famous Harry Potter.  
He received a letter from her one day.  
  
Harry,  
  
Hey, guy! This is still the coolest thing that has ever happened to me. I finally get to talk to an actual English dude! Did you know I that I can actually fake an English accent? I can! I watch too many British comedies is what the deal is. I just wrote something where my character gets to deal with SEVENTEEN Monty Python Rabbit Monsters. Lovely thought eh?  
  
Anyhoo… If in case yer curious, I have a bunch on my mind. I was wondering though…. Would you like to stay over here for the rest of the summer? I can get you here fine. I was also wondering if you would ask yer friends if they'd like to come too. Don't worry about having to get back to England in time. I have it all covered. Oh and…. Do you know a guy named Dumbledore?  
  
Love,   
Astra  
  
  
Harry put down the letter. He looked over at Hedwig. "What do you think of her Hedwig? You think she's trust worthy?"  
  
Hedwig hooted loudly, earning Uncle Vernon's yell from down stairs. "Keep that ruddy bird quiet!"  
  
Harry stuck out his tongue at the wall and went back to the letter. He reread the last line. "Do I know a guy named Dumbledore? How could she ask that if she is from a wizarding family?" He thought for a moment. "But IS she from a wizarding family? The way she talks, it sounds a little bit like she is, but she also knows a lot about the muggle world. She even owns a computer and surfs the Internet."  
  
It started to give him a headache. "That's right…. She never said anything about being in a wizarding family. I should ask her. Maybe I should go ahead and tell her about Dumbledore. I mean, she ought to know that he is the headmaster of my school."  
  
He wrote a response and proceeded to write Ron and Hermione as well. When he had finished, he looked over to Hedwig. "What do you think, Hedwig? Do think you can handle another trip out?"  
  
Hedwig flew straight over Harry's head and landed on his desk. He stared at her incredulously. He knew that she was stubborn when it came to important matters, but he had never seen her this determined to play out the orders. It was as if she knew that this was an important milestone in his destiny and it had to play out, or it would mean his end.  
  
She nipped his finger affectionately as he tied the various letters to her leg. He stood up and opened the window. "Have a safe journey, girl."  
  
She flew out the window and into the dusk air. Harry wished that Sirius would be back soon. Harry wished that he wouldn't have to stay here at the Dursley's any longer. He sighed as he walked back to his bed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Astra sat at her desk talking to her friend Nevaeh, who was on Astra's bed. Nevaeh was a short girl, with a round face and short brown hair that framed her face. "Anyway, Nev… I was thinking about the time when Leon got you, me and-" she was interrupted by a tapping on her window.   
  
Astra stood up and went to her window and opened it. A white owl immediately ran her into. Astra caught the owl as she fell to the floor from the intensity that the owl had flown into her with. "What the hell?!"  
  
Nevaeh rushed over to Astra's side. "You alright?"  
  
Astra lifted the owl up to her eye level. The owl stared back at her with it's own yellow eyed gaze. Astra recognized her. "It's Hedwig!"  
  
Nevaeh stared at Astra incredulously. "What the hell are you talking about, Astra?"  
  
Astra stood up and sat at her desk. The owl shoved her leg out at her. Astra untied the letter and the owl puffed up her chest importantly. Nevaeh giggled at Hedwig. "She's cute!"  
  
"It's another letter from Harry!"  
  
Nevaeh stared hard at her friend. "Harry who? Do you even know what he looks like?"  
  
Astra shook her head. "Nev…. I don't care if it was PRINCE Harry of WALES! I'm just glad to be getting any form of letter from someplace OTHER than here!"  
  
Nevaeh put her hands on her hips indignantly. "And what exactly is that supposed to mean?"  
  
Astra smirked at Nevaeh. "It means that I'm tired of sitting here with nothing to do except sit on my ass as I wallow in my misery of having nothing to do!"  
  
"You've got me."  
  
"YOU don't count. I like meeting new people, you know that!"  
  
Nevaeh shrugged and Astra opened the letter.  
  
Dear Astra,  
  
  
"Oooo… DEAR Astra…. I think he likes you…"  
  
"Oh hush up! He's GOT a girl already, dumbass!"  
  
I thank you for inviting me to come over. I will ask my friends immediately. As to Dumbledore. Professor Dumbledore is the headmaster of my school, Hogwarts.  
  
  
"Whoa… he's the Headmaster?"  
  
"Whoa… he goes to Hogwarts?"  
  
"He lives in England doesn't he?"  
  
"Yeah, but…. That doesn't mean he goes to THE Wizarding School."  
  
"You ditz…. Of course it would! It's the only school close enough FOR him to go to!"  
  
I don't know why you asked about him, unless you heard about him and you aren't from a wizarding family.  
  
"Dude… I knew WHO he was, I was wondering why he was being mentioned by Miss White!"  
  
I hope this clears up everything.  
  
Your penfriend,  
Harry  
  
  
"I wonder if it's THE Harry Potter…" Nevaeh said as she sat back down onto Astra's bed.  
  
"Nah… I ain't THAT lucky…. Still…I hear that Harry goes to Hogwarts…. Maybe this Harry knows him." Astra got an evil smirk on her face. "Heh… I think I'll ask him!"  
  
As soon as Astra put her quill to her paper, she got an image. It was the same image she had been seeing since her first year at her school, Firestrom. It was a boy with black hair.   
  
Astra shook her head and leaned back down to write. When she was done, she put a picture that she had drawn inside the envelope with the letter. She tied it to Hedwig's leg. "There now… His birthday's coming up soon. I drew him a picture so that he could get a present from ME!" she giggled.  
  
"Astra, yer SUCH a dork…" Nevaeh thought for a moment and picked up one of Astra's magazines. She flipped through it hurriedly as Astra let Hedwig fly off.  
  
"Nev… what the hell are you doin'?" Astra sat back down in her chair.  
  
Nevaeh's eyes got really wide. She looked up at Astra. "Astra… when did you say that this boy's birthday was?"  
  
"July thirty-first… why?"  
  
Nevaeh turned the magazine around and showed a picture of a nervous fourteen-year old boy with black hair and green eyes trying to get out of the picture. "Because it says here that Harry Potter's birthday is July thirty-first. To top it off, the Harry yer speaking to is the same age as THIS Harry…"  
  
"Nev… you can't be serious… it can't be Harry Potter that I'm talkin' to… I already told ya that I ain't that LUCKY."  
  
"Could've fooled me…." 


	2. Coming to America

Chapter Two  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
  
  
Harry sat at his desk. He was reading through the various letters he had gotten from Hermione and the Weasleys. Mrs. Weasley had sent had sent him another couple of meat pies for his birthday present. Ron had sent him Quidditch book set that he had found.  
  
Harry opened Hermione's present. It was a book on various spells that she had gotten in Bulgaria. It was just like Hermione to send a book of information.   
  
He opened Sirius' package and found a picture of himself and the other Marauders. It was a good picture too. Sirius and Harry's father were smiling as they mussed up their friend's, Remus, hair up. Pettigrew was in the picture as well. He was also mussing up Remus' hair as well and he was smiling. Harry growled at Pettigrew's face. He knew that, at one point, Pettigrew was their friend, but he was still angry with him for letting his father get killed.  
  
Harry sighed and went to the last letter. It was written in the same purple, precise lettering.   
  
Harry,  
  
I already know who the hell Dumbledore is… I guess I didn't specify what I wanted to know. No, my headmistress had written me a letter recently asking me if I had met anyone knew and I told her about you. She said that she wanted me to be nice and invite you and your friends over here. She also said that she would ask Dumbledore for more information. Meanwhile, I'M stuck trying to figure out what the hell she's talking about.  
  
Oh well… I guess it's all the better. Anyway… I got letters from yer pals and they all thought it was a neat idea. I'll get ya'll on Monday, okay? I already sent the same notice to yer pals so you don't have to worry.  
  
Love,   
Astra Knight  
  
  
Harry didn't know what to think now. "Monday?! Today is Sunday! Good lord! I have to get ready!"  
  
Harry zipped about his room in a flurry. Hedwig watched him go about as he went back and forth collecting his things. "I've gotta get my things together! I don't want to be late!"  
  
He stopped. He turned to his door and slowly realization struck him. "I never said anything to the Durslys!" He zipped out his door and ran down stairs.  
  
When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he found Uncle Vernon sitting in his chair reading the paper. Harry straightened his shirt and sauntered towards him. Uncle Vernon looked up above his paper and grimaced at him. "What do you want, boy."  
  
"I have a friend coming to get me for a trip to America. She'll be coming tomorrow."  
  
Uncle Vernon stood up. His face had gone purple as it always did when he got angry. "You let one of…. YOR kind get a hold of this ADDRESS!"  
  
"I SAID that I was going to AMERICA." Harry said in a smug tone.  
  
Uncle Vernon stopped. A strange glint crept into his eyes. He smiled as he sat down and opened his newspaper back up. "I think we can swing for you to go…" He suddenly got a thought. It looked like hard work. "WE don't have to pay for anything, right."  
  
"No… she said SHE was coming to get me." Harry suddenly thought of something. He didn't know when or even HOW Astra was going to come.  
  
He walked up the stairs and into his room. He shut the door and smiled. He had never been anywhere else other than England and Scotland. He looked over to his desk to find a black barn owl sitting on it. "He-llo… what's this?"  
  
The owl hooted importantly and lifted up his leg. Harry untied the letter and stared at the owl. Its eyes were yellow, but had slitted pupils like a cat. Harry stared at it. It suddenly hooted at him. Like it wanted him to read the letter immediately.  
  
Harry opened the letter and read.  
  
Harry,  
  
This is Skywise. Don't worry about him. He may seem scary, but he's really just a harmless thing. Anyway… I realized that I hadn't given you a time as to when I will be there! I'm sorry. I'll be there somewhere around 12:00 p.m. Yes… High Noon! BE THERE! ^_^  
  
Lots of Love!  
Astra!  
  
  
Harry looked up at the owl. "So yor Skywise, eh?"  
  
The owl stared at him with those yellow eyes of his. Harry started getting nervous. The owl reminded him of Mrs. Noris with the way he was staring at him. "I think you can go now…"  
  
The owl stared at him still.  
  
"Well… go on…"  
  
It still stared at him.  
  
Harry wrote something on the letter and put it in a new envelope. He started to tie it to the owl's leg, but the owl snatched it up and flew out the window. "Well…. He was certainly impatient! I think that the second time an owl has been rude to me, Hedwig."  
  
Hedwig hooted her acknowledgment.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Harry sat in the living room of number four Privet drive. He waited with Uncle Vernon, who was "reading" his newspaper. Harry knew that Uncle Vernon wasn't actually reading the newspaper, just as he knew that Uncle Vernon got dressed up because he wanted to intimidate Astra.  
  
Harry looked at his watch. It was five minutes past twelve and Astra still had not shown up. Uncle Vernon grumbled over in his chair. "Damnable girl… We could have had some prior engagement!"  
  
Harry gave his uncle a death-glare and looked back at his watch. She was seven minutes late. 'Come on Astra', he thought, 'Where are you…'  
  
Just then, a pair of feet appeared in the fireplace. "OW!"  
  
Harry stared. "Oh dear… be careful!"  
  
The pair of feet turned into a pair of knees hitting the ground and a blonde, soot covered girl emerged from it. "*cough * *cough* The builder of this fireplace needs to be SMACKED!" She coughed some more and stood up. She was a very tall girl now and looked a bit like she could compete with Angelina Johnson. "This thing's too damned small!"  
  
She looked over at Harry and he gulped. She was pretty, but that wasn't what made him suddenly get nervous. He saw her ears. They were pointed. 'She's an elf! ….. or at least part, at any rate..', he thought. "Y-you must be Astra… I take it…"  
  
Astra stared at Harry and she suddenly got the image of the black haired boy in the haze again. This time, though, she remembered his eyes. 'It's him! The boy in my dreams….., but what did the dreams ever mean!', she thought.  
  
Astra smiled pleasantly, walked over to Harry and put out her hand. "Hiya! You must be Harry, then…" Harry took her hand and let her shake it vigorously. "I see that the photos I have of ya didn't lie…"  
  
Harry stared at her incredulously. "There are photos of me in America?"  
  
"Of course there are, dummy!" Astra retracted her hand and thought for a moment. "It does seem as if I really AM that lucky…."  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"Don't worry about it…" She said dismissively. She looked back at the fireplace as she rubbed her head. Then, she turned back to Harry and smiled again. "Um… do you have yer trunk ready? I'm kinda on a time limit here…."  
  
Harry jumped and ran up the stairs. Astra put on her magic gloves and started to widen the fireplace when Uncle Vernon grabbed Astra's shoulder and turned her around. "WHAT THE--!"  
  
"What the bloody hell do you think your doing!" He screamed uncharacteristically at the young witch.   
  
Astra glared at Uncle Vernon. 'Must be Harry's uncle…' she thought as she forced a small smile. "Ya don't have to shout, meathead! I can hear ya just dandy!"  
  
Uncle Vernon stared hard at Astra, as if he didn't believe his ears. The girl looked just like any other girl. She was dressed in blue jeans and a baseball tee that had "Rangers" emblazoned across her chest, but nothing he noted as being part of wizards. "What did you just say…?"  
  
It was then that Harry entered into the hallway carrying his trunk. He noticed Astra and Uncle Vernon facing off. "Oh dear…"  
  
"You heard me…. I told ya ta quitcher bitchin'! I swear! This just proves Nevaeh's theory that MEN PMS!" She said with a smirk.  
  
Uncle Vernon's face and neck went darker. "How… HOW DARE YOU! HOW DARE A LITTLE INGRTE LIKE YOU COME INTO MY HOME, DESTROY MY THINGS, AND CALL ME VULGAR THINGS!"  
  
Astra's blue-gray eyes seemed to flash red with anger. "Simple… I just did…"   
  
Harry gulped at the oncoming barrage. "I'm going to get it for sure now…" he muttered, "I'll never be able to see the light of day ever again!"  
  
"FIRST of all… how dare YOU tell me what to do! I just came here to retrieve Harry and you are just all of a sudden jumping on me like I'm some kind of criminal, WHICH I'm not! SECOND! How dare YOU call me an ingrate…" she paused to smirk, "At least I don't have to dress up to make myself feel important!"  
  
"THAT did it… I'm dead now…." Muttered Harry. He caused his trunk to hit the first step loudly.  
  
Uncle Vernon and Astra both looked up at Harry. Uncle Vernon looked distinctly white now. Astra ran up the steps and grabbed Harry's trunk and lifted it onto her back. Then, she grabbed Harry's shirt and dragged him over to the fireplace. She threw a handful of floo powder into the fire she made appear and tossed the trunk in. "Nineteen-eighty-two Planet Drive! Austin, Texas!"  
  
"Whu?" was all Harry got out before he was unceremoniously pulled into the fire. Then, everything went at a dizzying pace. Harry held onto his stomach as it gave a lurch. "ARRRRRRRRRRGHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Astra looked back at him and smiled. "Don't worry… It'll be over in a min-" she was cut off by her rolling onto the ground with Harry. "UTE!" she coughed out as Harry accidentally landed on top of her.  
  
Harry blushed and jumped right off. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"  
  
"Harry! There you are! What kept you!"   
  
Harry turned around to see Hermione and Ron walking over to him. "Ron! Hermione!" Harry smiled as Hermione hugged him and Ron slapped him on the back.  
  
"Ron? Where did…"   
  
Harry looked behind Hermione to see a familiar redhead walk into the room, except it couldn't have been whom he thought it was. "Ginny?" He asked.   
  
Ginny smiled at him. "Hi Harry!"   
  
Harry felt himself blush slightly. She had grown some during the summer. Her long red hair was pulled into pigtail braids and she had an actual figure. Hermione let go of Harry and walked over to Astra. "Hey… do you have any tea?"  
  
"Yeah… it's in the pantry… which kind would you like?" Astra led Hermione in the kitchen. She opened the pantry and Hermione found ten kinds of tea on one shelf. "I have peppermint, Earl Grey, green tea with mint, green tea with jasmine, rose tea, peach tea, regular tea, raspberry tea, diet raspberry iced tea and regular decaf iced tea."  
  
Hermione's mouth had dropped open when Astra opened the pantry door and her hearing shut off as well. 'How can one family have SO MUCH TEA!', she thought.  
  
"Hello? Astra? Where are you…?"  
  
Nevaeh Ives walked into the living room front the front door. She looked around and walked into the living room. There she saw Harry and Ginny, Ron was staring at Harry with a sort of confused/death glare, Fred and George came into the house from the backdoor and Astra was poking her head around the corner from the kitchen. "Nev! Yer here!"  
  
"Apparently…" She said as she stared at Harry. She blushed furiously when he looked over at her and smiled. Nevaeh walked into the kitchen and found Astra waving her hand in front of Hermione's face. "What's wrong with her?"  
  
"Don't know… I just opened the pantry door and she blanked out when I started to list my teas…"  
  
"No wonder… listening to YOU talk about yer tea choices will make ANYone blank out." Nevaeh walked over to Astra and smirked as she leaned into Astra's ear. "I TOLD you that you were that lucky!"  
  
  
  
  
  
Now... click the Review button because I hath become addicted to the reviews!   
@.@; 


	3. Photo OP!

To those of you who are begging me to not RUIN this whole shabang with H/G or R/Hr shipping please note....  
  
I AM THE AUTOR! I am also a RABID H/G R/Hr SHIPPER! Therfore... and I'm also going by what JK hinted throughout the four books..... I'm going to do H/G and R/Hr.... but first... I'll have a little angst fest with Harry thinking about Cho. *tee hee* cause it's just so cute! :3  
  
  
Chapter Three  
  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
  
"PHOTO OP!"  
  
Harry groaned audibly, as did Astra. Her mother had come home early and was INCREDIBLY happy to have company. Astra gathered the others into a now familiar formation. Benedikta Knight was Astra's mother. She was hard to say 'no' to, as well. She was also very tall. Not quite as tall as Hagrid, but taller than a normal human being. She was incredibly thin as well. She had long silvery blonde curls and large, pointed ears.  
  
"OH! I do love company! *giggle * Especially company as ADORABLE as Harry!"   
  
Harry blushed furiously. Astra growled at her mother in frustration. "Mom… just take the picture so we can continue to shop! I told these guys that I'd show them around!" She sighed and rolled her eyes.  
  
The flash went off and Astra stood up, almost knocking over Harry. She held out a hand to him and he took it. When he stood up, he looked around the mall that they were at. "Barton Creek mall! The best place on Earth aside from Terran Lights!" Astra winked at Nevaeh.  
  
They walked around and Ron was gawking at everyone passing by. Hermione sighed. "Ron…. Would you stop that! People are starting to stare!" She whispered at him.  
  
"But these things are sooo weird! I mean… LOOK! LOOK AT THAT!"  
  
"Ron! If you were in muggle studies, you would know that THAT is an elevator!" Hermione sighed.  
  
"Ell-lee-vay-ter" he said slowly as if to catch the hidden meaning in the word. Ron looked around and noticed two of their party had disappeared. "Um… where's Fred and George?"  
  
Astra stopped suddenly. "Oh crap…. There's no telling what those two will do!" She looked at the rest of the troupe. "Doesn't someone have a LEASH for those two?!"  
  
Nevaeh walked over to Astra's side and laid a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down… I think I saw them go into Aladdin's back there."  
  
"Aladdin's? What are you two talking about?" asked a confused Ginny.  
  
"Aladdin's Castle… it's an arcade… it's a good place to play ski ball.." Astra said as she continued to think about their last destination. "Hmmm… we better go get them before we have to pay for some blown up machine."  
  
They walked back toward Sears and found Fred and George sitting outside the Arcade. Fred looked up and nudged George. "OY! I thought we'd never see civilization ever again!"  
  
Astra blushed slightly. "Well… ya wouldn't if it weren't for yer little brother here…." Ron reddened slightly as Astra pointed him out. "He noticed ya'll were AWOL."  
  
Fred and George sidled over to Ron and each slung an arm around his shoulders. "OUR HERO!" They both made their voices go into a high pitched tone to sound feminine.  
  
"Geroff you guys!"  
  
Ginny giggled lightly. Hermione sighed and shook her head, as did Nevaeh. Astra grinned and smacked Harry on the shoulder. "Let's get a move on, people!"  
  
They passed the food court again and went up the stairs to the second floor. They didn't take the escalator because Astra didn't trust Fred and George to behave themselves. They went over to a small, darkened shop with guilded doors and walked in. "Hot Topic! Another great store!"  
  
"I hate this place…. I really hate this place…." Nevaeh muttered as she clung to Astra's arm.   
  
"Why don't you like this place, Nevaeh?" Ginny inquired.  
  
"Call me Nev…. And… I … just… don't! It scares me!"  
  
A girl that was a couple of years older than Fred and George walked over to the troupe. She had purple hair that was cut close to her head. She wore heavy black eye make-up, and had a pierced nose. She smiled. "Hello… how may we help you?"  
  
Harry stared at her. He had never seen people dressed like this before. Her smile turned to a slight frown. He realized that he had been staring too long and blushed. "*achem * Sorry…"  
  
She smiled again. "It's okay… is there anything I can help you with?"  
  
Astra walked up to the front and smiled. "No… we're just looking…" She got really close the woman and whispered. "They're from England…."  
  
The girl got stars in here eyes and smiled even wider. "OH! England!"  
  
Astra smirked ad took Harry's wrist as she dragged him towards the rest of the store. "I figured that would work…"  
  
"What…"  
  
"I was trying to distract her from the Weasleys…. I know most of ya'll don't generally hang around punks and goths much…" She smirked as she let go of Harry and Nevaeh. Nevaeh looked grateful to have circulation going through her hand again.  
  
"Punks… Goths… what are you talking about?" Harry asked. He suddenly realized that he was looking at a VERY bright thong. He coughed and stepped away from the shelf full of women's underwear. He then tripped over a person and landed on them.   
  
Harry got himself into a position so he could see whom he tripped on. It was Ginny and she was both furious and embarrassed. "Uh..sorry Gin… I didn't mean to…"  
  
She started giggling loudly. "That's okay! I didn't mean to run into you Harry!" She squirmed under Harry and Harry suddenly realized that he was still on top of her. He jumped up and took her hand to help her up.   
  
He looked over at Ron and saw the same confusion/death glare that he had on yesterday, when Harry accidentally knocked into Ginny, sending her into his lap and him on the floor. Harry then looked over at the rest of the troupe. They were all smirking at him. He blushed and walked back to where Hermione was.  
  
"I think it's safe to say that we can get out of here…." Said a saddened Astra.  
  
They walked down the walkway to and down the stairs to a large Island store in the middle of the mall. "Big…. Entertainment?"  
  
Astra blushed. "It sells comic books…. Especially manga…"  
  
Harry stared at her when she mentioned 'manga'. "What's manga…?"  
  
Astra picked up a small book that had the same drawing type on its cover as the drawing she had given him for his birthday. "THIS is manga… they're Japanese comics… unfortunately …. I can't read Japanese…"  
  
"Oh…." He said like he understood. He shook his head and walked over to the poster stand. He stared at Ron who was staring at a poster of 'manga' characters with bulging muscles and hair that seemed to stand on end into the air.  
  
"They don't move…" said Ron gruffly. Fred and George walked over and stared at the poster as well.   
  
"Yor right… they DON'T move…."  
  
They walked over to another poster of a girl with long blonde hair and big brown eyes. "Buffy the vampire slayer…. I think I've seen that on the Telly not that long ago…" said Harry.  
  
"Was it any good?"  
  
"Well… if you call watching some dimwitted girl kicking monster ass any good….I guess it would be then."  
  
Fred and George smirked at each other. "I guess we better watch it then!"  
  
Ron and Harry shook their heads at the twins. "You guys are pathetic, you do realize this…." Said Ron.  
  
"You say that like it's a bad thing…"  
  
"Besides… it takes SKILL to get to OUR level pathetic-ness!"  
  
Ron and Harry smacked their foreheads in unison.  
  
"Hey Astra…. Where's yer mom?" said Nevaeh as she walked over to her friend, who was 'reading' another manga.  
  
"She went off to go look at some new dress that she saw in the window…" Astra waved her hand dismissively as she talked.  
  
"Whatcha reading anyhoo…" Nevaeh crouched down to where Astra was sitting next to the newsstand.   
  
"Is there anything else I WOULD be lookin' at? Besides Witchblade of course…" She held up the book and Nevaeh saw Sailor Moon plastered on the front.  
  
"OH! THERE YOU ARE!"  
  
Astra looked up to see her mother running with a shopping bag in her hand. Then, she tripped and fell flat on her face. Astra sighed and stood up. "Alright mom….?"  
  
Benedikta sat up on her knees and giggled. "Of course I am dear…!"  
  
Astra helped her mom up and they walked over to the newsstand. "Is there anything you would like, Astra?"   
  
Astra picked up a Witchblade comic book and held it up. "This…. Harry? Guys? Would any of ya'll like anything?"  
  
They all shook their heads. "We ought to get back to yor house soon. I'm getting hungry…" said Hermione politely. Astra nodded and went to collect her new comic book.   
  
When the finally found the car, they all piled in and drove off to Astra's house. Fred and George drooled over every page of Astra's comic book and Ron questioned why the pictures didn't move. Ginny sat next to Harry. Ron sat next to Hermione. Nevaeh sat next Astra.  
  
When they got back to Astra's home, they filed out of the car and walked up to the house. Astra was greeted by a black furry mass. "ACK!"  
  
"What the hell is that!" said Ron as he jumped back.  
  
Hermione was suddenly pounced on by an orange furry mass. "Hiya Crookshanks!" Hermione giggled.  
  
Astra finally got reoriented with reality and looked at the black furry thing lying on her shoulders. "SKYWISE! Didya have ta scare the crap out of me like that!"   
  
Harry stared hard that cat. The cat stared at him in return. "That…. Is Skywise? I thought he was a bird!"  
  
"He's uh…." Astra looked at Skywise who looked back at her with the same worried look. "I really don't know WHAT he is…I guess he is like a changeling or something… He changes into a black Barn owl…"   
  
Skywise suddenly morphed into a black barn owl sitting, and staring at Harry, on her shoulders.  
  
"A cat…"  
  
Skywise morphed into a large black cat. He continued to stare at Harry.  
  
"And a snake…"  
  
The cat turned into a long black snake. Harry got really nervous. Suddenly, the Weasleys got nervous as did Hermione. Nevaeh scooted away from Astra's side. "I HATE snakes..." she said timidly.  
  
"I still can't figure why you hate snakes… I LOVE them… They're so CUTE!" Astra said brightly as she patted Skywise's head.  
  
Harry started to back away from her now, as did Hermione and the Weasley's. Benedikta giggled at Skywise and patted him as well. "He really is incredibly adorable!"  
  
Ron pulled Fred, George, Hermione, Ginny and Harry into a huddle. "She nutters!"  
  
"I don't think so… I think it's genetic…she just likes animals…" said Ginny.  
  
"Yeah… I mean… any other person would have gone bonkers if they had found out that their pet was a changeling or something like that…" said Hermione.  
  
Harry looked back at Astra. She was patting the snake and so was her mother. "Maybe it's something to with the fact that she is half elf….?" He turned around to see everyone staring at him. "What?"   
  
"Elf?!" everyone said in unison.  
  
"You mean that you didn't notice her ears?"  
  
"That would explain why she likes that thing she is keeping as a pet…" said Fred. George nodded.  
  
Ron stared at his brothers. "What are you talking about!"  
  
George turned Ron, as did Fred. "Elves are known for their link to nature!" Hermione put it.   
  
"Um… she's an elf?" asked Ginny. She looked at them all confusedly.   
  
"Yeah.. she's half… her mother there is the pure elf." Nevaeh walked into the huddle. "I still don't see what she sees in snakes though…"  
  
Harry looked uncomfortable. The snake stared at him from Astra's shoulder. The snake turned to Astra's ear and hissed into it. Astra turned and stared at the snake. She smiled and seemed to say something back to it. Harry stared incredulously. 'Could SHE also be a parselmouth??' he thought.  
  
Astra walked closer to the huddle and everyone started to back away from her. She stared at them, a frown appeared on her once lit up features. 'They're not going to accept me…. Miss White was wrong!' she thought.   
  
Hermione looked frustrated the Weasleys and at Harry, then back at Astra. "Honestly!" She walked right up to Astra and smiled. "I'm sorry for all of this, Astra… they're a little timid when it comes to snakes."  
  
Astra put out her shoulder with Skywise's head on it and she smiled. "Pat him! He really likes it!"  
  
Hermione patted Skywise on the head and Skywise almost sounded as if her was purring. Hermione retracted her hand. "Snakes…. Don't …. Purr…"  
  
Astra smacked Skywise on the head. "Don't do that! Yer scaring her!" was what she said, but it came out as a bunch of hissing sounds. Harry understood every bit of what she said and started laughing.  
  
"It looks as if yer scaring them more than me, dufus!" said Skywise in parseltongue. Astra glared at Skywise. She genuinely looked as if she were going to strangle the snake. In fact, the picture even flashed inside her head. Harry laughed harder. Ginny looked scared and confused at the same time.  
  
"ACK! Another one!" said Nevaeh as she pointed to Harry.   
  
Astra put a hand around Harry's shoulders and smiled. "Photo OP!" she shouted. Harry groaned. 


	4. Train talk

A/N: I draw McGonagall looking like I describe her, so bear that in mind when you read this. I'm sorry for the confusion, but after "reading" a bunch of Harry Potter JAPANESE doujinshi, I always picture McGonagall looking like that.  
  
That and I'm a firm believer that Wizards and Witches age slower than normal human beings, so that also contributes to the McGonagall looking young factor. Sorry… don't hurt me… ::hides behind a large rock::  
  
  
  
Chapter Four  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
  
  
Harry scratched a piece of dirt off of his prefect badge. He couldn't believe his luck that he was now a prefect. HE then turned to watch the scenery going by out the window. He replayed the events that led up to now in his mind.  
  
He and Hermione both received owls when they got to Ron's house for the remainder of the summer. The letters both had a badge and a letter from Professor McGonagall saying that they were prefects.  
  
Then, Harry got a letter from Astra saying that she was ever grateful to have him over. She apologized for her mother and the "photo op" situation. Then, she said she enclosed a special picture for him and his friends to look at. That was when Fred and George took the picture and letter from his hands and started to show it around the room. The letter explained that Astra was experimenting with potions to make the photograph show what you were feeling at the time.   
  
When Harry saw the picture, he noticed why Fred and George were grinning so deviously. Ron and Hermione were holding hands in the picture and the little Ron would every now and then glare at Harry. Then, he noticed why he would glare at Harry. Harry was holding Ginny's hand as well. Harry blushed at the thought and had proceeded to try to get the picture out of Fred's hand. Ron joined in as well.   
  
It was all well, now. Ginny sat next to Harry on the Hogwarts Express. She never once looked up at him. She did blush furiously at the mention of the picture. "So what did you think of the picture?" Harry smiled; Ginny blushed to the roots of her hair.  
  
Ron and Hermione were on opposite sides of the seat, which was opposite from Harry and Ginny's seat. Hermione blushed slightly and said, "It was a good picture…" Ron mumbled something under his breath.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Outside the compartment, Draco Malfoy listened to the quiet conversation. His two lackeys, Crabbe and Goyle were behind him. They smiled fiendishly. "What do we do, Draco?"  
  
Draco was a tall boy of fifteen. He was thin and pale. She glared at his lackeys with his cold gray eyes. "What do you THINK moron!" He hit Crabbe on the back of his head. "We're going to give them a mighty surprise for giving ME tendrils…"   
  
"I don't think so, hon."  
  
Draco turned around to see a tall girl with long blonde hair and blue-gray eyes staring at him. He saw nothing out of the ordinary. "What do you want…" He smiled, playing it cool.  
  
"What do plan on doing…." She said as she came into the light. He noticed a pair of leather gloves on her hands.  
  
"I would ask that same question…." He said calmly. "I would have you know that if you assault me, that I'll sick my father on you."  
  
"I'll have you know that if you do anything to Harry and his friends, that I'll do more to you than what yer father will be able to collect." She bared her teeth at him. There were sparks coming from her hands.  
  
Draco stared. "Crabbe… Goyle… deal with her…" He sighed. Nothing happened. "Crabbe…. Goyle?"  
  
"They're gone, sweetpea…. Yer mine now…" The girl smiled sweetly at him. He was getting nervous now.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Like I said… I just got a letter from McGonagall that said that I was made a prefect. I don't know WHY she did it…." Harry was getting exasperated from all of this questioning.  
  
"Well…It's about time you start acting your age anyway…." Hermione paused. "Act like a prefect should!"  
  
Ron and Ginny both muttered something sounding like, "Another Percy…."  
  
"Act like I do… I mean… I was made a prefect as well and so now I'LL act like one…" Hermione was proud of herself.   
  
"You do that anyway, Hermione…" said Ron as he smirked at her. Hermione blushed and went back to her slouching state.  
  
Suddenly, there was a great crackling sound from outside their compartment. It sounded as if a great many lightning bolts came down in one area. Harry jumped up immediately and went to the door.  
  
The door opened before laid a hand on the handle. There stood a smoking Draco Malfoy. He looked as if he just French kissed a light socket. Harry was about to say something, when Draco beat him to it. "I am s-s-s-supposed t-t-to s-say I a-am s-s-sorry…."  
  
Harry stared at him. Then, Draco dropped to the ground in a smoking heap. Harry stared at him harder. He remembered something that Astra had told him. "I think I know who did this…."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When they arrived at the castle, Astra and Nevaeh stared at everything. Their mouths stood agape at the sights. "Whoa…."  
  
When they got to the main entrance and tall woman with black hair tied tightly in a bun and wearing a black Victorian style dress stood before them. She looked young for the age that Harry had told Astra. "Good evening all. Will Miss Knight and Miss Ives follow me, please… you will enter with the First years when  
they arrive."  
  
Astra and Nevaeh were led away from the group. Astra and Nevaeh looked back to see Fred and George waving furiously at the two girls. They blushed in unison.  
  
When the First years arrived, a bored Astra and Nevaeh started to make their hands talk. "Hello.. My name is Mr. Flibble! Will you be my fwend!" said Astra with her right hand, doing a bad ventriloquist job.  
  
"NO! I want to be his friend! I'M Mr. Satan!" went Nevaeh with her left hand. They were talking to a little eleven year old boy, who was starting to try to find a way out from being near the two bored girls.  
  
"When we go into the main hall, you will be sorted into your houses. For the rest of your term here, these people will be a sort of family for you. Points will be taken or rewarded according to your behavior." McGonagall opened the doors to the main hall. The first years all followed her to the front where they all stopped.  
  
McGonagall walked behind the teacher's table and brought out a stool with an old pointed hat on it. She set the stool down and got out a clipboard. "You will be called by name and come to the front. You will sit on the stool and place the hat on your head." She flipped a few sheets on the clipboard and got out a pencil. "Absolene, Henry."  
  
Astra watched a small boy with blonde hair walk up and sit on the stool. He pulled the hat on over his head and waited. "Hufflepuff!" The boy jumped off and ran over to the Hufflepuff table.   
  
Astra suddenly noticed what all the first years were wearing. They all wore a gray sweater, a white button up shirt, a black tie, dark gray pants or a dark gray skirt, black shoes and a black robe. Nothing changed when they were sorted. Astra watched as another Hufflepuff ran over to the Hufflepuff table.   
  
Astra sighed. "Why do I feel absolutely ridiculous?"   
  
Nevaeh sighed as well. "Oh… I don't know…. Could it have something to do with the fact that WE are standing in line with a bunch of kids…?"  
  
Astra looked down and noticed the boy in front of her was staring at her. "Whatchu lookin' at, kid…" The boy blushed and turned back around.  
  
Several Gryffindors, Slytherins, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws later, Nevaeh's name was called. "Ives, Nevaeh!"  
  
Astra watched as Nevaeh walked up to the stool and sat down, pulling the hat over her head. It then shouted. "Gryffindor!" Nevaeh walked over to the screaming table full of Gryffindors.   
  
"Knight, Astra!" Professor McGonagall called out.  
  
Harry watched as Astra walked up to the stool and sat down. She placed the hat onto her head and waited. He remembered the conversation he had with the hat when he was a first year. Harry judged Astra's personality by what he had seen over the summer. He knew that she was a lot like Ron and a lot like Hermione at the same time. "Intelligent AND compulsive…" He smirked.  
  
Astra closed her eyes as she listened to the voice. "Yes… a LOT like young Harry…. A thirst to prove yorself…. And a loyalty that won't be broken easily… Yes… there is only ONE place for you…GRYFFINDOR!" She opened her eyes and looked out at everyone. She smiled and stood up. She ran over to the Gryffindor table and sat down.  
  
When the sorting ceremony was finished, Dumbledore stood up and grabbed everyone's attention. "May I have yor attention…. As you know, I must tell you to stay away from the Forbidden Forest. It is off limits. This year, we will have the Triwizard Tournament again. We must always make friends with other countries, and so this year it will be with two other schools. Now… shall we eat…?"  
  
All the golden plates filled with food and everyone dove into it. Astra munched on a turkey leg, while Harry munched on mashed potatoes. Harry looked up at the teachers' table and saw someone VERY familiar. "Ron… I think you ought to run and hide….", he smirked, "Guess who is one of the Teachers now…"  
  
Ron looked up and his face went ten shades of green. "F-fleur… uh oh…" He slunk behind Hermione and she sighed heavily.  
  
"Well I guess the Triwizard tournament is back on then…" said Hermione as she took a bite of corn.  
  
Harry straightened. "I don't care! As long as MY NAME doesn't suddenly come up again in the same sentence!" He paused. "If it does… I'm going STRAIGHT to Dumbledore to tell him to DESTROY the cup!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
After dinner, the rest of the students walked back to their dorms. Astra watched as a reluctant Harry and Hermione put on their hats and went over to the groups of First years. "What's he doing…"  
  
Ron answered her. "Harry and Hermione are First year prefects…. That means they get to show the first years to their dorms. He looked back to where Fred and George were headed.   
  
"Fish Garden!" said George. The fat lady painting opened up and the Gryffindors filed in.   
  
Astra looked up at the Fat Lady and grinned. Astra waved vigorously at the painting. "HOWDY!"  
  
Nevaeh slapped Astra's hand. "Stop that! Yer scaring her!"  
  
They walked inside and went into the common room. There, Fred and George ambushed them. "Oy! We heard about what you did to Malfoy!"  
  
George grinned. "Could you show us how to do that trick?"  
  
Astra blushed and so did Nevaeh. "I never go anywhere with out Nevaeh."  
  
"Ah… not to worry… I was hoping she would come along!" said George.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ron sat on his bed, eating Berty Botts Every flavor Beans, when the door to the dorm slammed shut. Ron smirked. "The Creevy brothers were wondering where they should start the fanclub…. I told them to tell Ginny when they do…" He stared at Harry with an Amused grin. He looked distinctly disheveled. "I see YOU had fun…"  
  
Harry huffed and puffed, gasping for air. He had run all the way up the stairs. "*huff * If I… *puff * EVER…. *huff * Have to lead… *puff * ANOTHER group of first years…. *huff *" He looked terrified at the thought of his experience. "I'LL SCREAM!"  
  
He walked over to Ron's bed and sat down, staring out into space. "They're AWEFUL!"  
  
"I'll take that as a 'No' then…" Ron munched on the beans. "Hermione must be having FUN then…"  
  
"Actually…." Harry paused as he remembered watching Hermione run into her room screaming. "She locked herself in her room, only letting in fifth years and above…."  
  
  
  
  
Now… click that little review button and cater to my comment addiction, please!  
^.^ 


	5. I ain't that lucky

Chapter Five  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
  
Harry sat next to Astra in Defense against the Dark Arts. Harry looked over at Astra's parchment to see a cartoon she was drawing. He was impressed. He knew that she drew, but he had never watched her draw a cartoon involving a guy dressed in his underwear with a plunger on his head.  
  
"Who's that?" he said as he pointed to the pictures.  
  
"Super Plunger Man… I made him up when I was running up the stairs in my house with the plunger…." She realized what she said and turned to face him slowly. "Long story…"  
  
"Ah…" he looked out the window half-awake.  
  
"Where is the teacher…" he heard a student say behind him.  
  
Then, there was the sound of the door opening and shutting carefully. Harry looked over to the entrance to see a tall woman with long, silvery blonde hair, pale skin and determined blue eyes. "Hello, everyone one… I am your new teacher, Professor Delacour."  
  
Harry stared at her. "A teacher? Fluer?" He whispered quietly.  
  
Astra looked up. She noticed all the boys, except Harry, Ron and Draco, had gone inexplicably dazed. She sighed in frustration. "Not again…." She groaned and slowly looked over to the teacher.  
  
Harry stared at her. "Huh?"  
  
"My Dark Arts teacher…. She's a major bitch and she has the same affect on ALL the guys in class…." Astra stared at Delacour. "Ya know her I take it?"  
  
"Yes… We played against one another in the Triwizard Tournament last year." Harry shuddered slightly from the thought. He could still see Cedric lying on the ground with that look on his face.  
  
Harry noticed Ron was hiding under the desk he was at with a perturbed Hermione. Draco sat in front of them with a rather amused grin on his pale features. "Aww…. Is the ickle poor kid afwaid of the teacher…?"  
  
Astra growled audibly. So did Professor Delacour. "You must be Draco…" She glared at him with her cold blue eyes. "Ten points from Sleetherin for being snotty…"  
  
Hermione smiled. "Maybe she isn't ALL bad…"  
  
"Monsieur Weasley…. You may rise and get into your seat now…." Delacour smiled.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Walking outside, Harry smiled at his two friends. "That was an interesting class…."  
  
Ron smirked. "Yeah it was…. Especially when she freaked!" He put his hands behind his head and walked along side Harry. "It was beautiful… one of Fred and George's fake wands turned into a toad and she ran into a wall trying to get away!" Ron burst into laughter.  
  
Hermione tisked the two boys. "Harry needs to act like a prefect… He doesn't need to be getting into trouble…" She suddenly noticed Fred and George standing by a wall with Astra and Nevaeh, deep in conversation. "Is that Astra and Nev?"  
  
"And Fred and George as well…" said Ron.  
  
"It looks like Fred is quite keen on Astra…." Said Harry.  
  
"Especially what she can control…." Hermione added.  
  
"You mean WHO…" smirked Ron.  
  
"Well… looks like its time to go to Divination…" sighed Ron.  
  
"I hope this time she predicts her MOUTH disappearing…" grumbled Harry. It was known that Professor Trelawny liked to pick on one student to predict their death every year.  
  
In divination, they were reading Tarot cards. Harry and Ron were playing Go-fish. "Got a Queen of swords?"  
  
"Nope… go fish, Harry.."  
  
Trelawny came up behind them and growled. "I told you to READ your cards…. Not PLAY with them!"  
  
Astra leaned back in her chair and stared hard at the teacher. She had already come to the conclusion that the teacher was crazy. "Don't come down so hard on them…" She flipped over a card. She had brought her own card set. It was a pretty set of cards, called the Faeries Tarot. "This card here says that they don't have the gift…." She looked up at the interested stare of Trelawny. "Of course it also says that YOU don't either…"  
  
Trelawny had stars in her eyes. She looked at Astra with a look of joy. "Finally! Someone is interpreting the cards correctly! YOU have the EYE!"  
  
Astra stared hard at Trelawny. "Uh… yeah… whatever…"  
  
"OH! I have fulfilled myself as a teacher!"  
  
Astra stared at her incredulously. "GEE-zus.. yer WHACKED!"  
  
Harry grinned. "Hey Astra! What about YOR future!" He was going to play along. He was bored and this seemed like a good enough time to play.  
  
Astra growled and shuffled the cards again. She laid them out carefully and flipped over a couple. "This one says that I'll marry early…. It says that of you and Ron as well…" Astra hated doing this with an audience. It was embarrassing. She decided to get creative and use her imagination.   
  
She turned over another card and an image had hit her brain like a combat boot to her head. She grabbed her forehead with one hand and closed her eyes. She saw a brilliant light breaking apart and saw Dumbledore get hit in the chest with a stray light stream. She shook her head and looked up. Concern crossed Ron and Harry's faces. "This one says that Dumbledore will die… WHEN is the question…."  
  
Harry stared hard at her. He didn't know whether to believe her or to write it off as her anger flaring up. Then, she spoke again.  
  
"It will be at the hands of yer worst enemy…. I'll ASSUME that it's Voldemort…." Everyone winced except Harry and Astra. Astra opened up her eyes again and glared furiously at everyone. "I'd advise that ANYONE that DOES NOT want to end up in the Hospital wing for the remainder of the year, to buggar off and leave me alone!"  
  
Harry stared incredulously at Astra. 'He can't die at the hands of Voldemort…. Voldemort wouldn't have the guts to…' Harry shook his head furiously and stared back at Astra.   
She stared at him, but this time she mouthed something like, "I was kidding!"  
  
Ron nudged Harry on his shoulder. "Come on, man… don't let it bug you… She was just angry with Trelawny…"  
  
"I'm sorry… but it FELT real…" Harry shook his head vigorously and smiled at Ron. "Don't worry about me!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Harry, Hermione and Ron walked out to Hagrid's hut. It was sunny outside and Harry was glad to be able to get over to see Hagrid. He had missed him at the station, which was hard to do.  
  
They knocked on the door. Harry swore that he heard two voices inside mumbling. Then, he heard a couple of crashes and the door opened. "Who the blazes…?" A surprised Hagrid answered the door.  
  
He looked down and saw Harry, Hermione and Ron. He smiled pleasantly. "Huuh? Oh! Hiya Harry! Hermione… and Ron… Please come in!"  
  
Harry walked inside the hut. He saw Madame Maxime and smiled at her. "Hullo, Madame Maxime…"   
  
She smiled and nodded her enormous head. She was wearing a long, black satin dress. She lifted the teacup, she held in her hand, to her lips. After she placed it back on the saucer, she took in some air. "Good aftairnoon 'Arry…"  
  
Harry sat down on the sofa with Hermione. Ron sat in the chair next to Hermione. "It's nice to see you again, Madame Maxime…" Harry said as he rolled up his sleeves. It was warm in the hut and he needed more air.  
  
Maxime smiled graciously. "'Zank you 'Arry…." She took another sip of tea. "'Agrid makes a wonderful cup of tea, does 'e not…"  
  
Hagrid smiled. Harry could see him blushing through his beard. "Aww… Thanks, Olympe…!"  
  
Hagrid leaned over and laid a small kiss on Maxime's cheek. She giggled lightly. Ron snickered. "I can see why YOR here, now…"  
  
Hagrid looked at Ron carefully. "Actually…. We've been negotiating with the giants…"  
  
"'Agrid…." Maxime said slowly.  
  
Hagrid got nervous as he realized what he said. "Uh… shouldn't've said that…"  
  
Harry grinned at Hagrid. Hagrid decided to change subject, quickly. "Soo… how about that Astra, eh? Quite the ticking time bomb, eh?"  
  
Astra's words rang in Harry's ears. "Yes…. She predicted the death of one of the teachers…."  
  
"Eh… I had talked to her not long ago… she told me that she generally did that kind of thing whenever she was ticked off at someone…Maybe that teacher made her angry….?" Hagrid shrugged.  
  
Maxime grimaced and made a 'harumph' sound. "She's brutish…! It is NOT lady like at all!"  
  
Hagrid grinned. "She certainly can stand up for herself, though…. She fried Draco after he called her a 'Mudblood Halvsie'….Would've paid to see it, me self…"  
  
Harry sighed. He shook his head vigorously. Hagrid grinned. "So… anyway… YOU, Harry, are a prefect?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Astra sat with Nevaeh in the field. Astra sighed. "I remember… when we used to sit just like this back home….."  
  
Nevaeh smiled. "I see that yer gettin' better…"  
  
Astra smirked. She leaned back and put her hands behind her head. "Yeah… it seems like I am…"  
  
"Then, what's wrong?"  
  
"Remember when I first started going to Firestrom?…" Astra stared at her friend.  
  
"Yeah… what of it? It has to be the strangest wizarding school on the face of this planet… how COULD I forget about starting there…" Nevaeh smirked.  
  
"No… Remember what I told you in our first year….? About seeing multiple dreams of a boy with black hair?"  
  
"Yeah…"  
  
"Well… remember how I told you I had thought it was Leon?" Astra looked over at her friend. She could see Nevaeh's eyes suddenly glaze over. Astra and Nevaeh had been friends since elementary school and when they started Firestrom, had made two other friends. A red headed muggle born boy by the name of Kennedy Stark and a black haired boy named Leon Wilheilm.  
  
"Yes…"  
  
"Now I am sure I was wrong…."  
  
Nevaeh cocked an eyebrow. "How so?"  
  
"I thought the boy just had black hair…. But I can now recall the rest of the dream boy… he had emerald eyes.. JUST like Harry's!" Astra rolled over onto her stomach.  
  
"So you think what….? That he is your soul mate or something?" Nevaeh got down to Astra's level and earned herself a smack on the head.  
  
"You NUMBSKULL! Of course not! I don't get to find my soul mate until I turn seventeen!" Astra paused for a second. "At least… that's what Avalon said…"  
  
"Well…. You know your sister better than me…"  
  
"Yeah… and it surprises me that I take her advice at all! The little leprechaun could be settin' me up!" Astra waved her hands around to emphasize her point.  
  
"Good thinking…" Nevaeh smirked. "So… what do you think of those TWINS…?" She said as she nudged Astra with her shoulder.  
  
"Shaddup….!" Astra grinned. 


	6. Thank You from the crew

A/N: If YOU can tell me where the "::patpatpat:: You're a good Boy" thing comes from and WHY it's such a PERFECT thing for Cho to do to Harry, I'll draw you a picture of Cho patting Harry on the head for you.  
  
Oh… and don't hurt me for my little weakness of having my birthday celebrated in this. Besides… it's the first appearance of Donovan in fifth year.  
  
  
  
  
Chapter Six  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
  
"HARRY!"  
  
Harry jumped out of his seat and hit the floor with a loud thump. "OW! Geez, Fred… can't you see I am working?!" Harry stood up and rubbed his rear.  
  
"Not really… it looks like you just fell on the floor…" Smirked George.  
  
Harry glared dangerously at the twins. "What do you want…I'm busy…"  
  
"To brighten yor dreary PREFECT days…!" The twins smiled cheerfully in unison.  
  
Harry smirked. He really HAD been working too hard. It was mainly Hermione's fault, actually. "Hermione won't leave me alone. She keeps asking me if I've done this or that… and saying that I should be more responsible…"  
  
The twins smirked at each other. "I think we ought to pay her a visit, Fred…"  
  
"Yor right, George! She has been taking too many mail-in teachings from Percy…!"  
  
"What did you two want?" Harry smirked, feeling better now.  
  
"Fred? Shall I let YOU do the honors?" George bowed to his twin.  
  
"Why thank you, George…. I think I shall… but really… WE should do it together… I mean it WAS YOR idea to start with…"  
  
George seemed to think about it. "No… YOU should be the one… yor the one who likes her…"  
  
"And YOU are the genius who gave me the idea…."  
  
"WILL YOU TWO JUST TELL ME!" Harry huffed angrily.  
  
The twins shrugged together and turned to Harry. "We were thinking of getting Astra a birthday present…."  
  
"Her birthday is coming up?"  
  
"October the ninth I believe…." Said Fred.  
  
"Libra girl, I believe….?" Said George.  
  
"Yep… they're the weird ones aren't they…"  
  
"Yep… I believe it was-"  
  
"WILL YOU TWO STICK TO THE SUBJECT!"  
  
The twins turned to a reddened Harry. "The point is…. Angelina's gone, therefore…. I thought Astra would like a thank you present for having us over at her house."  
  
Harry started to think. "How about we ALL give it to her, if THAT'S the case…. But what about Nevaeh… she helped, too…"  
  
George thought about it. "Yeah…" he smirked. "She IS kind of cute…"  
  
Harry started thinking. He suddenly got an image of Cho thanking him for a new broom preening kit like his. His cheeks reddened. Fred picked up on this. "Me thinks that harry here likes SOMEONE…"  
  
Harry looked up. "Shut it!" His face went even redder.  
  
"Let me guess… that cute Chinese seeker on the Ravenclaw team right?"  
  
Harry's face went brilliant red. "Uh…."  
  
George suddenly got a smirk on his face. "You KNOW…. I think I saw her in the hallways going to the main hall…"  
  
"Huh?" Harry looked up at the grinning faces of the twins. He stood up and started to walk out the door, when a hand grabbed his shoulder.  
  
"Do we have a deal?" smirked Fred.  
  
"Yeah… sure!" Harry then sped down the stairs at the speed of light.  
  
When Harry got to the main hall, he saw Cho sitting alone, looking at something. Harry opened the door and walked in. He placed a hand on Cho's shoulder and she jumped. "Wha?"  
  
Then, she saw who it was. She smiled drearily. "Oh… Hullo Harry…What brings YOU here?"  
  
"I would ask something similar." He studied her face. She looked as if she had been crying. "What's wrong, Cho?"  
  
She turned her head and picked up a picture. It was of her and Cedric dancing. Harry grimaced slightly. The image of Cedric suddenly came into his brain. The way he fell onto the ground, stiff as a board. He looked back at Cho.  
  
"You don't need to feel guilty… I know you tried yor best…" She smiled at him.   
  
Harry's insides melted slightly, but the image of Cho dancing with Cedric entered into his mind again. 'Damn brain! Won't leave me alone for one Second!' Harry shook his head violently. It made him dizzy and he looked back at Cho. She cocked an eyebrow at him.  
  
"Are you alright?"  
  
Then, something caught Harry's attention out the corner of his eye. A glint of red walked up to his position. It was Ginny. "Hullo, Harry… I was hoping that you could help with Fred and George's plan… 'cause I am chipping in as well…"  
  
Harry was surprised. Ginny was actually talking to him. He suddenly realized that he'd been staring at her with his mouth open. "Uh.. yeah… sure…"  
  
He turned back to Cho. She looked at the leaving Ginny and back at Harry. Then, she smiled a mysterious smile. "Don't worry about me, Harry…" With that, she stood up and patted him on his head. "Yor a good boy…" Then, she walked out.  
  
Harry sat on the bench and looked around, confused. "What just happened here?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
"Sooo… what does he want us to do again?" asked Ron.  
  
The carriage they were in hit a bump. Ron held Hermione around the shoulders to keep her from fall in off the seat. "Thanks Ron…" she smiled.  
  
"Fred and George want us to keep her busy…" said Harry.  
  
"Why not just let Astra and Nevaeh go off on their own, why we all get presents for Astra. She's been awfully nice to me lately. She gave me some advice…" Hermione stopped suddenly and looked at Ron. "on something…."  
  
Ron looked out the window. "I think I know just the place…"  
  
When they reached the town of Hogsmeade, everyone went for their favorite places. Astra and Nevaeh walked off to the Three Broomsticks to have a drink. "I hear this place is where we should go if we want to know good places to shop…." Said Nevaeh as she opened the door.  
  
"What do you think we ought to get Hermione and the others?"   
  
"For what?" inquired Nevaeh.  
  
"You know… for being so nice to us… I mean… they're showing us around and being so helpful, I thought it would be nice to get them, you know… stuff…" Astra said as she sat down.  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"I don't know.. Hermione looks like she could use a new book… She's read every one of her others…. Ron.. um… a book on Quidditch…. Harry…. I haven't the faintest idea… Fred and George should get something like a joke book or something…Gin-gin…." Astra trailed off.  
  
"Gin-gin?" Nevaeh looked amused.  
  
"I call her that… I used to have a friend named Virginia… I always called her Gin and Ginny and Gin-gin… I figured it was a cute name to call Ginny…." Astra looked at Nevaeh's amused expression. "Oh hush! She doesn't mind! Well…. When Harry isn't around to hear it…"  
  
"Speaking of Harry…. I heard from a Ravenclaw girl that Harry and Ginny should be set up."   
  
Astra was now interested. "I've the perfect present for those two….."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Harry walked with Ginny to the jewelry shop that Fred had told them about. When they walked inside, the old man behind the counter smiled at them. It made Harry nervous.  
  
"Good afternoon… how may I help you?" said the old man.  
  
Ginny pointed to the star locket. "The star locket…. With a twenty inch chain please…."  
  
The old man picked up the locket. He looked at it carefully. "This is a good buy… it's special…" He placed the locket in Ginny's hands.  
  
Ginny looked at it and smiled up at Harry. "It perfect!" Then, she handed the locket back to the man. "I would like an inscription on it…."  
  
"Me thinks the lady knows what she wants…." Said the man as he winked at Harry. Harry twitched slightly, getting more nervous.  
  
"As I said… I would like an inscription on the inside, please….and you'll need to write this down…it's a long inscription…" said Ginny matter of factly.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Astra and Nevaeh walked along the sidewalks with shopping bags on their arms. "I certainly hope Hermione and Ron like the gifts we got them…" said Astra.   
  
"Yeah… Harry and Ginny will have to wait for theirs!" Nevaeh winked.  
  
"I think we should get Fred and George in on it as well…" Astra said as she hopped over a puddle.  
  
"You know… Astra… Since we got here… we haven't heard a peep out of Donovan… I'm even surprised that Numbnuts Birdboy didn't try to attack you…" Nevaeh as she stopped to look into the window of a shop.  
  
"Yeah… makes me nervous that he doesn't do anything…"  
  
"I hope you don't act too irrationally… seeing as how he killed Leon last year…" Nevaeh said nonchalantly.   
  
Astra stared at her friend. Astra remembered those days at Firestrom all too well. It was nearing the end of her fourth year and Donovan was after Astra for her blood. When he tried to stab her, Leon took the blade for her and dropped down, dying.  
  
She remembered trying to kill Donovan. It had earned her a wound on her stomach and right leg. The nurse at school made them disappear, but she could still see them as they were. She remembered holding a dying Leon in her arms as his blood soaked her jeans and shirt.  
  
She snapped out of her painful memories. She wasn't going to have anything like that happen ever again. She wasn't going to have another friend die on her. "Bring it on, Donovan…" she growled to no one.  
  
Nevaeh was used to hearing this, by now. She was about to say something, when she heard the familiar call of a raven. She looked at Astra. She had heard it too.  
  
"I will be more than happy to, as you so QUAINTLY put it, 'Bring it on'…!"   
  
Astra looked up to where the source of the voice came from. She saw him on the roof of the building across the street. A tall, thin man with short, blood red hair and yellow eyes like a hawk. Astra smirked. "Yer a long way from America, Birdboy…!"  
  
"Ah… but I am HOME! And what a WARM welcome…" He smirked down at her.   
  
"What do you want…." , she said to him, "ANOTHER chance to get yer ass handed to you? Oh wait! You want to help yer MASTER…"  
  
Donovan glared at her. "Don't ever call me Birdboy…"  
  
"YER a quick one, ain'tcha!"  
  
Harry and Ginny saw Astra and Nevaeh. "There they are! Let's go over there!" said Ginny.  
  
Harry was tugged by Ginny all the way to where Astra and Nevaeh were standing looking up at a rooftop. Harry noticed a tall man with red hair and a raven on his shoulder. "Astra? Who's that?"  
  
Astra just noticed Harry. "Harry…!" She smirked. "Want to help drop this guy's ass off a cliff somewhere not to obvious?"  
  
"I REALLY don't think that yer thinking correctly, Astra…I-" he stopped and stared at Harry. "Oh wow! Now I can REALLY get back in…. I'll kill Astra…" He suddenly got stars in his eyes. "And bring in Harry! Oh! I'll finally be able to bring on the master!"  
  
Harry stared at Donovan incredulously. "Yor nutters!"  
  
"He's on CRACK is more like it…" said Astra.  
  
"OH! The master will be soooo proud when I finally free him!" Donovan continued to gush.  
  
"The master…you mean Voldemort…" Harry said. Ginny flinched at the name, as did Nevaeh. "Yor too late… he's already risen…. No help from YOU… but from Peter Pettigrew."  
  
Donovan growled. "Voldemort will have my HEAD on a pike! Damn that Weasel Pettigrew! I'll KILL him!" Then, he got out his wand, twitching it nervously. "So… okay… I can still get back in if I bring in Harry…."  
  
Ginny tapped Harry on his shoulder. "I'll get Hermione and Ron…" She ran off just as a binding charm was shot at her. Nevaeh dodged at her and knocked her away before she got hit. Nevaeh and Ginny ran off before Donovan could hit them.  
  
"Damned girl! Always getting in my way!" growled Donovan.  
  
Astra put on her gloves as Harry got out his wand. Astra looked over at Harry. "Don't sweat it, dude… He's easy to take down generally…"  
  
"Then why haven't you defeated him already." Asked Harry.  
  
"Because he somehow gets away BEFORE I can finish the rat-bastard off.." Grimaced Astra as she motioned over to Donovan.  
  
Harry started thinking of all the spells he could use on this man. He wasn't sure how to deal with him. When he battled Voldemort the previous year, he was doing a Wizard's Duel, not flat out attacking someone.  
  
Astra smirked. "Here we go!"   
  
Harry stared at Astra. She said something in another language and lightning came down from the cloudy sky. It struck her. Suddenly, four balls of light appeared around her and she looked up at Donovan. He looked suddenly afraid.  
  
Astra guided one of the balls to her line of sight. She hit it with her palm. Lighting bolt streaked up into the air and hit where Donovan was no longer. Donovan was in the air. He flipped and landed on the ground in front of Astra. "Nice try, little girl…"  
  
"That's a warning shot, numbnuts! Get out of here before I get angry!" Astra growled at Donovan.   
  
Harry watched helplessly. He had no clue as to what he should do now. Donovan glared over at Harry. "Uh oh.."  
  
"RAVENEL! ATTACK HIM!" Donovan pointed at Harry. The large raven flew off the roof and started clawing Harry.  
  
"ACK!" Harry hit at the bird as best he could. The raven still clawed at him.  
  
Astra bared her teeth at Donovan. "Grrrrr…. Eat lightning, Birdboy!" She hit another orb. IT sent a lightning bolt straight at Donovan.  
  
Donovan dodged the attack. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" A green light shot out of his wand and flew at Astra. She flew back a few feet and hit the ground.  
  
Harry hit the bird in the stomach with the disarming charm. The raven flew away from him and flew back to his master. Harry ran over to Astra. "No… not another one… not again…" he muttered under his breath.  
  
Harry knelt down next to a steaming Astra. "Steam… huh?"  
  
Astra moved her arm in front of her. She lifted up her head and glared at Donovan. "Damn it! I still fall flat on my face when he does that!"  
  
Harry stared incredulously at her. "Astra! You should be dead!"  
  
Astra looked up at Harry. "I love you too, bonehead!" Astra sat up on her knees. "Don't think that doesn't hurt! Ow…" she said as she rubbed her stomach where she had been hit. "I'll explain later…"  
  
Donovan held up his wand again. "Now… let's see how many times you can hold up against that curse…"  
  
Suddenly, Donovan was hit from behind by the disarming charm. Donovan fell to the ground. Astra and Harry stared up at who hit him. Hermione, Ginny, Nevaeh and Ron stood with their wands out. "Hey! I think ya'll can get up off the ground now!" shouted Nevaeh.  
  
Astra stood up and put out her hand. "Let a girl help ya up?"   
  
Harry smirked and took her hand as she helped him to his feet. "Thanks, Astra…"  
  
"Let's get out of here!" said Ron. They all each took their turn in stepping on Donovan as they walked back to the carriages. 


	7. Birthday flight

A/N: Yes it was planned out before that Astra had a Firebolt. Most of the instances that are similar between Astra and Harry are coincidental though. I started writing out Astra Knight when I read The Chamber of Secrets. Goes to show you that some things are just supposed to happen to you. You'll soon realized that that is the same thing going on in Astra Knight.  
  
By the way, don't pay attention to Astra's thoughts on Harry's appearance. Hormones can be a killer. Even when you only think of the guy as a little brother that you SHOULD'VE had.  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
  
  
When Harry got back to the Gryffindor tower, he hid the box, with the necklace inside it, in his trunk. He got out his Firebolt broom, and his kit, and started to preen it. Harry loved his Firebolt. It was a present from his Godfather Sirius Black.  
  
Harry wondered where Sirius was. Harry had sent out a letter to him, but Hedwig hadn't returned yet. That was when he heard something making noise in his trunk. He thought it was the Sneakoscope, which he kept in a pair of Uncle Vernon's old socks to keep it from making noise.  
  
Harry went to his trunk and lifted the lid. Sure enough, the noise was coming from the mustard yellow socks. He picked the small sock package up and took out the sneakoscope. It spun in his hand, lit up like the sun, making a high pitched whining sound. Harry grimaced at the thing.  
  
He started to put it back in the socks, but he noticed something else in the trunk. The sneakoscope was sitting next to the box with the locket. Harry put the sneakoscope close to the box and the sneakoscope remained constant in its rotation. Harry shook his head. "Damnable contraption!"  
  
He shoved the sneakoscope in the socks and placed it in the trunk away from the box. It didn't make anymore noise. Harry shook his head again. "That guy is getting to me… me and Ginny as a couple… HA! Like that would ever be able to happen."   
  
Harry leaned against one of the bedposts of his four poster bed. "She HAS gotten prettier since last time I saw her." Harry blushed. He slapped his cheek and shook his head, trying to get the image of Ginny smiling out of his head. "Like Ron would ever LET me near her anyway… BESIDES! She's my BEST FRIEND'S SISTER!"  
  
Harry flopped onto his bed. He started thinking about Cho dancing with Cedric. He punched his pillow in frustration. "GRR! WHY CAN'T MY BRAIN JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"  
  
Harry threw a pillow at the dorm door and hit Ron in the head. "ACK! HARRY! WOULD YOU PLEASE KEEP YOR TANTRUMS FROM HITTING ME!" He shouted as he rubbed his face. A vein appeared on Ron's forehead.  
  
"Sorry…. I didn't know I was going to hit someone." Said Harry and he sat on his bed in 'Indian' style and leaned back on his hands.  
  
"I only came in here because Hermione was getting worried. She said you were yelling and she wanted me to come up here to see what's wrong." Said Ron sitting on Harry's bed.   
  
"Nothing, Ron… Just had a bad mood moment." Said Harry smiling at Ron.  
  
Ron shrugged. "I guess Nevaeh was right…"  
  
Harry cocked an eyebrow at his friend. "Eh? About what?"  
  
Ron went red in his cheeks. "N-nothing… it's disgusting to think about anyway…" Ron stood up and straightened his shirt. "Whatever it is that yer yelling about… just don't listen to your brain…. You think too much.."  
  
Ron ducked out of the door before he could be hit by another flying pillow, which promptly fell on the floor. "Damn it! I missed!" Harry grunted.   
  
Harry stood up and went to the door. He hesitated putting his hand on the knob. "Well… what if…" He started thinking again. This time he didn't listen to his brain. "Nah…"  
  
He walked out the door and promptly ran into Ginny. He fell on her. "OOF!" he let out. He looked under him and blushed. "Sorry, Ginny… didn't mean to fall on you…"  
  
She blushed redder than he did. "It's okay… I was just coming upstairs to see if you were alright…."  
  
Then, a flash went off out the corner of Harry's eye. He glared over to the offending light. "Who the blazes….!" He saw a grinning Colin Creevy and his little brother. "Creevy!" He lifted himself off of Ginny and smacked his forehead. "If you want pictures…. Just ask…?"  
  
"S-sorry Harry! We didn't mean to catch you at a bad time!" the Creevy brothers said in unison. Then, they ran off.  
  
Harry shook his head. What more could happen to him, he wondered. He was glad that Rita Skeeter wasn't there, or she would have had a field day with THIS one. He started thinking about that Quick Notes Quill of hers and what it would write. 'The dashing young hero, Harry Potter, has been getting naughty with a rambunctious redhead.'   
  
He was taken out of his bad mood by a hand being placed on his shoulder. It was Ginny. He looked over at her and she smiled. "I'm sorry if I caused this much trouble…" she giggled.  
  
Harry blushed. "Um… er… It's okay! Heh heh!" he said as he scratched the back of his head nervously. 'That's yor best friend's SISTER yor talking to!' he chided himself.  
  
Harry stood up and offered his hand to help her up. She blushed and took it. She wasn't hard to help up. She stood in her spot with her hands behind her back. "Well…. I guess I'll be seeing you!" Then, she ran down stairs into the common room.  
  
Harry walked down the stairs. He saw Hermione and Ron sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace. Harry sat next to Ron. Hermione looked over at him and smiled. "Are you alright? I heard a dreadful lot of racket up there."  
  
"Yeah.. I'm fine…I was just having an argument with myself…" smiled Harry. He stared into the fireplace. The fire crackled at him. He could see Sirius' head in the fire telling him to listen to Mad-eye Moody. 'If only he had known…'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Astra walked with Nevaeh down one of the hallways. Nevaeh knew that one of Astra's favorite pastimes was exploring old buildings. Nevaeh also knew that Astra enjoyed dragging her along even if she didn't want to go.   
  
Astra turned a corner and the two found themselves in the main stairwell. The stairs all moved and turned. "Well… we found where the stairs that move are, again…" she said as she walked over to the next doorway.  
  
Then Astra stopped suddenly. Nevaeh was confused. "Astra what's-"  
  
Astra put up her hand to silence Nevaeh. "Shh…" She indicated to where the nearest door was. The walked over quietly.  
  
"I am asking you… please don't say his name around me anymore…" pleaded a voice inside.  
  
Astra looked back at Nevaeh and shrugged. "I won't… I'm sorry Hagrid… but I forget that everyone is sensitive to hearing his name…" It sounded like an old man talking.   
  
"So what does the Order of the Phoenix want me to do next?" asked Hagrid. Astra looked at Nevaeh again. She mouthed at her. "Order of the Phoenix?"  
  
"It is the same as last time, Hagrid…."  
  
Astra could hear heavy feet shuffling towards the door. Astra grabbed Nevaeh's hand and whispered something frantically under her breath. Then, the door opened.   
  
Hagrid emerged and looked around. He didn't see anyone, so he walked off. Astra held Nevaeh's hand tightly. The invisibility spell her mother had taught her came in handy. Astra dragged Nevaeh away from the corridor and into the main hall. Astra said something in another language and they both appeared out of no where.  
  
"Pheew! THAT was close." Said Astra as she wiped sweat off her brow.  
  
Nevaeh stared at her. "Order of the Phoenix?"  
  
"Could they come up with something a little more original? Miss White said the same damned thing in time class." Said Astra waving her arms about.  
  
"Miss White did? When?"  
  
Astra knocked on Nevaeh's head. "Helloooo in there! I already said in Time Class! We were looking at some time during Voldemort's reign…." Astra didn't notice Nevaeh flinch at the name. She grabbed her head in frustration. "DAMMIT! I can't remember what the hell we were doing!"  
  
"THERE'S a surprise…" said Nevaeh with a smirk on her face.  
  
"Oh hush up! YER no better!" said Astra as she pinched Nevaeh's side. Nevaeh jumped.  
  
"I didn't SAY I was!" She giggled as she started running.   
  
"I'm gonna get you, brat!" she yelled as she chased Nevaeh through the halls.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Soon, the day of Astra's birthday came. Harry put up a sign in the girl's dorm room with the help of Ron. "I told you to hold that thing STILL!" Harry shouted at Ron, who was holding the ladder.  
  
"Oh shut it! You want ME to do it!" yelled Ron up at Harry.   
  
Harry tied off the last bit of string and looked at it carefully. "How does it look, Ron?"  
  
Ron let go of the ladder and stepped back to look up at the sign spread across two beds. Harry started to wobble on the ladder. "Whoaaaaaaoooooaaaa!!!!" He hit the floor hard on his rear. "Owwww…."  
  
"I think you need to lift it up a bit higher… It's slanty…." Said Ron as he nearly tripped over Harry's leg.   
  
"RON! I TOLD you not to let GO!" growled Harry playfully. Ron started laughing.  
  
"OOPS?" Ron snickered. Harry started grabbing at his leg. "Get down here YOU! See how I feel!"   
  
Ron jumped from Harry's hands and ran through the door and promptly ran into Hermione, knocking her to the floor with him on top. "OOF!" Ron looked at the angry face of Hermione. "Uh.. hi Hermione…?"  
  
"It's contagious! First it was me… now it's you!" Harry started laughing so hard that he started tearing up.  
  
Ron blushed to the roots of his hair. He lifted himself off of Hermione and helped her up. "Sorry Hermione…. Didn't see you coming…" he muttered.  
  
She blushed. "It's okay, Ron…" She walked over to Harry and smacked him on the back of his head. "Don't laugh! It's not THAT funny!" she giggled unable to keep a straight face.  
  
"Yes it was! HA!" said Harry. He then looked up at the door and there was Cho smiling at him. His insides melted again. "Cho! Uh… what are YOU doing here…"  
  
She smiled. "I was invited…" She crossed the room to Hermione's side. "She invited me…"  
  
Harry stared at Hermione's smiling face. "I heard that Astra and Nevaeh had been helping her out, so I asked if she would like to come…"  
  
Harry looked over at Cho. "Helping?"  
  
Cho looked away. "I…" she smiled up at him. He was a good deal taller than she was now. "Tea anyone?"  
  
Harry decided it was not best to press the subject. He smiled at her. "Sure!"  
  
She smiled up at him. His insides melted further. "What kind would any of you like?"  
  
Harry stared at her as did Ron and Hermione. "Which … kind?"  
  
Cho produced several boxes of bag tea. "Which kind!" Everyone seemed to trip onto the ground at once. She looked down at everyone on the floor. "Oh dear… what did I say?"  
  
'Where the hell did she PUT all of those boxes!' Harry thought as he got to his feet. Then, he blushed as a dirty thought entered into his mind. 'NAUGHTY! NAUGHTY THOUGHTS! YOU SHOULDN'T THINK THAT!' he berated himself.  
  
Fred and George entered the room. "Hello! Hello! Here are the FAMOUS WEASLEY TWINS JUST for yor entertainment!" said Fred as he did a twirl and took a bow with his brother.  
  
"Fred…. George….. " sighed Ron.  
  
Ginny entered now. She walked over to Harry and smiled up at him. "Hi Harry! I hope I'm not late!" Harry smiled at her and his insides seemed to melt all over again.  
  
Cho looked from Harry to Ginny and back again. She smiled and walked up to Harry. Harry saw her come closer. She stepped up to the tips of her toes and he leaned in for what he knew was going to happen. She patted him on the head and smiled. "Yor a good boy…"  
  
Harry sighed and looked over at Fred and George looking at the nightshirt on Astra's bed. It was a blue button up shirt with yellow stars and moons all over them. Astra walked in with Nevaeh at that moment. "Uh oh.." said Harry.  
  
Astra looked over at Fred holding up her nightshirt. She blushed furiously and stalked over to him. She snatched them from his hands and glared up at him. "Learn some manners, SPRINGY BOY! Ya don't go through a girl's things!" Then, she spun the shirt up and snapped it on his backside.  
  
Fred jumped in his place as everyone stared laughing. He glared at George and punched him on the shoulder. "Don't LAUGH!"  
  
"Fred got SHIRT SLAPPED!" Laughed Ron. Fred glared at Ron and Ron hid behind Ginny and Hermione. "EEP! Save me!"  
  
"Now… let's get down to business!" said a smirking Harry.  
  
"Here you go Astra!" said Fred as he stepped forward with a small box.  
  
Astra took the box and smiled. She opened the box and saw a gold star locket inside. It had a small blood red stone in the center. She took out the locket and opened it. "Thank you, Astra. From Harry, Fred, George, Ginny, Nev, Hermione and Ron." She looked up the group assembled. She smirked as she looked at Ginny. "Thanks Gin…for doing yer brother's dirty work…"  
  
Fred turned on Ginny. "Ginny!"  
  
"I didn't say a thing!" She squealed, trying to avoid Fred and George as they ganged up on her.  
  
"Only Ginny would put HARRY'S name in front of her own brother's." Astra said as she smirked at Fred. She put on the necklace and smiled. "I love it! Thank you guys!"  
  
Harry was still confused. "Astra… how did you survive the Killing Curse…"  
  
Astra looked over at him. "Because, a long time ago, one of my elven ancestors married a unicorn. Only unicorns are able to block the Killing Curse… at least when the blood is combined with the blood of an elf. That's my understanding of what my mom told me, at any rate. Since I am only half, it only knocks me out for a bit."  
  
"Is that also why you have suddenly turned from normal HUMAN BEING skin and hair tone to Malfoy quality?" smirked Ron.  
  
Astra stared at him. "Already?" She walked over to a mirror. Sure enough, her once dirty blonde hair had become silvery blonde and her skin took on the shade of eggshell. "Gee-zus… I look like I should be Draco's sister or something!"  
  
"There's a disturbing thought…" said Ron. "Draco having a sister in Gryffindor!" Then, a pillow hit Ron from Astra's direction. "Oww… THAT hurt!"  
  
Astra smiled over at Harry. "Harry… how would you like to go racing with me?"  
  
Harry thought for a moment. "Alright… I guess…" Harry walked out the door and up the stairs to the fifth year boys' dorm. He got out his Firebolt and walked back down the stairs to see a smiling Astra. She held her own broom on her shoulder, like he was doing. She had on a maroon robe with a red dragon on the crest under an embroidered "F".  
  
"I'm ready!" She said as she smiled.  
  
"What are those?" Harry said as he tugged slightly at the shoulder of her robe.  
  
"My house Quidditch robe. I like to wear it sometimes. It makes more comfortable when I'm flying." She said still smiling. She bared the crest to him. "The dragon is my house's mascot and my house is called Firewind." She shrugged. "I get slightly home sick…"  
  
Harry shrugged. "Well… it yor going to wear that… I might as well wear MY Quidditch robe. Not the gear, but the robe…like you.." Harry walked up to his dorm room and got out his Quidditch robe and put it on. Then, he walked back down to meet Astra. "Shall we?"  
  
"We shall!" she giggled as she led the way out of the stair well and out the common room.   
  
When they walked outside to the Quidditch pitch, Harry let down his broom. "I warn you… this thing is fast."  
  
Astra smirked. "So am I…" She looked around the field and let the breeze bow on her. She heard the others get into the stands. "Ten times around the pitch…"  
  
"That'll be easy enough… how about we release the snitch and see who can catch it at the end?" said Harry as he looked up at the sky.  
  
"Uh… heh… I'm not a seeker, Harry… I doubt I would be able to catch it." She said to him uneasily.  
  
Harry stared at her. "Keeper?"  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"Chaser?"  
  
She shook her head again.   
  
Harry could think of only one other position and men usually took that one. He stared even harder at her. "Don't tell me yor a BEATER…"  
  
She smiled at him. She was about his equal in height. She didn't look too heavy, but Harry could note muscle in her arms. Especially her shoulders. She had strong looking shoulders.   
  
"I was a beater from second year to fourth with Nevaeh. I kinda dragged her into it. I didn't want to play Quodpot with everyone else." She said.  
  
Harry cocked an eyebrow at her. "Quodpot?"  
  
"Uh heh… You'll have to look it up yerself, sweets… I ain't about to explain that STUPID game!" she said as she started to look irritated with the thought of Quodpot. "Besides…. QUIDDITCH is a MUCH better game!"  
  
"Alright then… ten laps, the first one to get back to this point on their tenth lap is the winner." Harry said as he got his broom underneath himself.  
  
"Right!" Astra did the same.   
  
Someone up in the stands fired off something sounding like a gun and Harry sped towards the sky. Astra did the same. Harry sped off after her. They flew past the starting place on their first lap.  
  
Harry sped forward and passed Astra. She found herself behind him and she growled. She made her broom go faster.  
  
Harry saw Astra pass him slowly and make a face at him while sticking out her tongue at him. Harry smirked and gunned his broom faster. They stayed by eachother as they passed the starting place on their third lap.  
  
'Bloody hell! She is fast!' he thought to himself as he started gunning his broom faster.  
  
'Damn it! He's faster'n I thought! Well… he would have to be if he is a seeker… and he's probably a damned FINE one!' she thought determinedly. She blushed slightly. 'A looker at that!' she gripped her broom handle tighter. 'GACK! Don't think like that, Astra! You've got a guy after you!'  
  
They passed the starting place on their fifth lap. Harry was starting to wonder what kind of broom Astra had. 'What kind of broom is she USING! My broom normally OUT RUNS others! How the hell is she doing it!'  
  
They passed the starting place on the seventh lap. Astra growled. 'I HATE losing!….' she thought angrily. Then, she smiled at another thought. 'Well… I always said that I prefer to lose to a GREAT opponent!'  
  
Ninth lap. Harry pulled ahead of Astra and gunned his broom faster. He crossed the line and descended to the ground. Astra sighed and joined him on the ground. "Great flying, kid…" She said to him.  
  
"Kid?" Harry said inquisitively.   
  
"It's an expression of affection, normally used in Chicago. One of my Aunts lives there half the time." Sighed Astra. She looked at Harry's broom. "What kind of broom you USING anyway!"  
  
"I might ask YOU the same! Hardly ANYONE is able to keep up with my broom except for Malfoy." He said. He was as astonished as she was.  
  
She turned the broom handle around to show the lettering. Harry read it. "A Firebolt. One of cousin's on my father's gave it to me as a present last year."  
  
Harry stared at it. He slowly turned his around as well. "I got mine the year they came out, on my third year."  
  
"Yowzah! Yer kiddin' me! That's INCREDIBLY weird!" she said as she stared at his broom.  
  
"By the way… when we went to YOR house… I didn't see yor father there… Was he on a trip of some sort?" said Harry as he put his broom on his shoulder.  
  
They walked out of the Quidditch pitch and into the players' entrance. Harry noticed Astra staring ahead. "My father died when I was two. About the same time as when you depleted Voldemort's powers." She looked over at Harry and smiled. "Don't worry… I normally don't talk about it, but I don't cry anymore when I think about it. I've always had my mother and grandmother and my sister."  
  
Harry smiled at her. Ron came over with Hermione trailing behind her. Nevaeh grinned at them both as she walked over to Astra's side. "I see ya'll found out that she has the same broom as YOU Harry…"  
  
"Are you saying that you KNEW and you didn't WARN me?" smirked Astra.   
  
"Not really… I just read about it in that magazine I have that had the article on the Triwizard tournament champions." Nevaeh said innocently.  
  
"I'm going to hurt you, you realize that right…" said Astra as she stalked nearer to Nevaeh. "Prepare to RUN, prey!" 


	8. Annunziata and Firestrom

A/N: Please don't take offense at the flying car comment. It's more or less a humongous in-joke at my high school. The fact that My school is about as low budget as it can get.  
  
And I think only Austinites will catch the crack about the "Ghetto Bevo". GO UT!  
::parades around with "hook-em horns" sign::  
  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
  
  
October started leaving and the time was entering November when Harry saw the current Head Boy post up a sign on the school bulletin board. Harry picked through the crowd with Hermione and Ron trailing behind him. "What's it say, Harry? I can't get close enough!" said Ron above the crowd.  
  
"It says that on the thirtieth the two schools are coming here for the Triwizard tournament. It looks like some school called Annunziata…" said Harry. He heard Hermione say something about "Italian" and he continued. "and a school called Firestrom.."  
  
"WHAT!?" screeched Astra as she rammed through the crowd. In fact it split like the Red Sea when Moses parted it. "Did you say Firestrom?!"  
  
"Yeah… it says it right there…. Why?" said Harry, getting a little afraid at the look in her cat like eyes.   
  
She suddenly got stars in her eyes. "Oh wow… I'll get to see my cousin! I'll get to see Miss White again!"   
  
Harry stared at her quizzically. "You have family that goes to this school?"  
  
She hit him on the back of the head with her hand. "STUPID! It's my school! My cousin just so happens to go to Firestrom as well!" She started thinking. "Only seventh years can come right…?"  
  
"Seventeen and above…that's the requirement." Said Hermione as she finally got close.  
  
"That means sixth AND seventh years are coming from Firestrom." Said Nevaeh as she came up behind Ron. They all looked around at her. "What… did you ever wonder WHY we are a year older than you guys and STILL in fifth year?"  
  
Harry stared. Ron had the gall to answer. "I just thought that you had been held back…" Ron was suddenly smacked on his head with a book from Nevaeh.  
  
"I WAS NEVER AND WILL NEVER BE HELD BACK!" she screamed at him.   
  
Ron got off the floor and rubbed his head. "Sorry.. I didn't know it was such a big deal with you."  
  
"Nevaeh is like Hermione in the respect that if you insult her intelligence in ANY way, she gets ticked off pretty badly…." Said a smirking Astra. "I think you just learned the HARD way, sweets.." Astra walked over to Nevaeh and placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Calm down, girl… breeeaaaathe…."  
  
Suddenly, Nevaeh stared at Ron and bowed her head to him. "I'm sorry, Ron…I didn't intend you actually HURT you…"  
  
Ron walked over to the post. "It's okay… I'm sorry I insulted you… I-" He stared hard at the writing. "It looks like McGonagall's getting senile… today is the thirtieth, right?"  
  
Everyone shifted slightly. "Uh heh… w-we knew that…"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Harry helped the other first year prefects with corralling all the first year students into a semi-decent grouping. "Okay first years, keep together… don't anyone move or fear my cohort's wrath…" Harry smirked as he indicated Hermione who was doing her best to keep two kids from getting away. "Okay… maybe just mine then.."  
  
A flash suddenly went off in the corner of Harry's eye and he turned to glare at a grinning Colin Creevy. "CREEVY! PUT THAT CAMERA AWAY!" Colin immediately hid behind Lavender Brown.  
  
When everything was finally in order, Harry walked over to Ron and leaned on his shoulder. Ron smirked at him. "What happened to screaming…"  
  
Harry glared at him. "I'll do that later… just watch out for Colin…"  
  
Hermione walked over to where Ginny, Astra and Nevaeh were. Astra would look at the first years every now and then to see if they were in line. Hermione stared up at the sky. "I wonder what we're looking for…"  
  
Ginny looked up as well. "What do you think Firestrom will come in…"  
  
Astra sighed. "With our budget…"  
  
"A flying car with the Latinos and the rest on brooms…." Said Nevaeh, sighing as well. Nevaeh stared at the sky. Then, she saw something that looked like a giant longhorn bull flying through the air pulling a giant Victorian carriage. "It looks like they got Bevers…"  
  
"It looks like they enchanted him to fly…" said Astra.  
  
Ginny tugged on Astra's sleeve. "Astra… who's Bevers…?"  
  
"The ghetto Bevo…." Astra said, but Ginny just looked on with a confused look on her face.  
  
Hermione gasped at a thought she had. "Yor headmaster isn't half giant is she…?"  
  
Astra stared at her with a stumped expression. "Eh? No! Of course not…why.."  
  
"Because that THING is huge!" said Hermione, her mouth agape in awe.  
  
The carriage got closer and finally landed on the ground with a thud. Bevers looked like he was panting heavily. Astra sighed. She remembered when she first got to Firestrom. It was a huge, old, Victorian house that always seemed to MAKE rooms. Like the place was alive.   
  
Bevers had pulled the carriage up to the school and the carriage doors opened wide. A tall woman looking about twenty-five walked out of the doors and looked around. She had a kind face, thoughtful blue eyes and long white hair that was drawn back in a very long braid. She a purple strap top, a purple skirt that had slits up both sides and brown leather lace up boots that went up to mid calf. She carried in her right hand a long staff that had symbols that ran up one side of it. "Hiya everyone!"  
  
She descended the steps and walked out onto the grounds. Students started filing out of the carriage warily. They each wore a black robe, but the clothes underneath were almost the same colors as the colors of each of the Hogwarts house colors. A boy in a navy sweater, blue shirt, black tie, and black trousers descended the stairs onto the ground as well. He had short, spiked brown hair with blue-hazel eyes and a long, thin body.  
  
Harry heard Astra whoop at the boy. "WOO HOO! HEY DETRIK! OVER HERE!" Harry looked back at the boy. He smiled and waved at Astra and walked over to her.  
  
"Hey cuz… " he said as he got hugged to death by Astra. "I missed you back home… there was no one to torture back there…" He gave a winning smile at Astra. She punched him in the chest.  
  
"Oh hush…!" Astra said. She looked over to Harry and waved for him to come over. "Um… Detrik…? I want you to meet a friend of mine.. met him during the summer…"  
  
Harry walked over to Astra. "Um.. hi!" Detrik smiled at him, but the expression soon gave way to confusion.  
  
"Astra… who the hell is this?"  
  
"Ya don't pay attention do ya…" she said flatly.  
  
Detrik stared at Harry closely. Harry started getting uncomfortable. He hated being in this position. It always made him feel like some bug that people prodded and probed.  
  
"Good lord… Yer Harry Potter!" Detrik jumped on Harry and shook his hand furiously. "My name is Detrik! Oh this is so cool! I can't wait to tell my friends that I met the FAMOUS Harry Potter! No scratch that… That my grand COUSIN even KNOWS him!"  
  
Detrik let go of Harry's hand, and Harry winced at the pain shooting through his squished hand. "My hand! Ack! HE shook my hand into numbness now!"  
  
Astra growled and started strangling Detrik. "Don't you DARE hurt him!"  
  
"Astra… I cant breath!"  
  
Ron showed up next to Harry and sighed. "So… um… where's the Italian school?"  
  
Miss White walked over to where Astra was. She pointed up to the sky as she saw a legion of flying horses soaring through the air toward Hogwarts. "Ah yes… just like the Romans…" she smiled. The horses carried behind them chariots.  
  
The front horse came into focus. It was a large black horse with long black wings. In the chariot were two people. One was a boy of seventeen wearing green robes and an expression of fear on his face as he gripped the reigns tightly. The horse set the chariot down on the ground. The second person came into focus as she walked out of the chariot.  
  
A tall woman with tan skin, long black hair and a cold stare walked out gracefully. Miss White walked over and smiled broadly. "Bojorno Vittorio! Welcome to Hogwarts! Dumbledore is coming over to greet you!"  
  
Miss white patted the boy on the head and walked over to the black horse. "A thestral! Brilliant! How UNLUCKY of you!" She patted the horse on the head and walked back over to Vittorio.  
  
Vittorio gave her a cold stare with her large brown eyes. "Bojorno Seniorina White." She lifted a finely crafted eyebrow. "I see you haven't changed since last I saw you." She said very coldly.  
  
Miss White giggled. "Do I ever?"  
  
Hermione stood next to Harry and Ron. "Well…. SHE was rude…"  
  
Harry stared in surprise. "Talk about an ICE QUEEN…"  
  
"The only thing chillier than her is…" Ron said," an ICEBERG!"  
  
Harry looked at his friend. "Wrong…icebergs are warmer."  
  
Vittorio walked over to Dumbledore with White coming up behind her. Dumbledore smiled. It is so nice to see you both. Gwen…" he nodded to Miss White. "And you too Bella…" he nodded to Vittorio.   
  
"Nice to see you too, Professor Dumbledore." Vittorio said in her chilly voice.  
  
"Well… shall we all go inside now…? I think dinner is ready." He smiled warmly.  
  
"Of course Albus!" giggled Miss White.  
  
Hey all walked into the main hall and the Hogwarts students sat at their tables. The Firestrom students had a hard time figuring where to go. Miss White went to the front of the herd and held up her long staff. "Students! Go to whichever house table is closest to yor own house! Firewinds? Go to Gryffindor table!"  
  
The group of students wearing the same colors as Astra and Nevaeh wore walked over to Gryffindor table. They all wore black trousers or skirts with a red shirt and maroon sweater, and a black tie.  
  
"Sealighter! Go to the Ravenclaw table!" All the students wearing a navy sweater and blue shirt walked over to the Ravenclaw table. Detrik sat with his friends and flashed a smile at Astra and Nevaeh when he passed by.  
  
"Lyresong! Go to the Hufflepuff table!" The students that wore a gold sweater and a pale yellow shirt walked over to the Hufflepuff table. The Hufflepuffs all made room for the group.  
  
"And last, but not least… Dragonstar! Go to the Slytherin table!" The last of the Firestrom group went over to the Slytherin table. They wore forest green sweaters and green shirts.  
  
The Annunziata class walked in. Miss White smiled warmly at Vittorio and walked over to the seat next to Dumbledore. "Class? Go to whichever table you can sit at." She said in the same cold tone that seemed to talk all the time with.  
  
The food appeared instantaneously on the gold plates when everyone was finally seated. The ghosts came out through the walls as they flew over their prospective tables. Nearly Headless Nick flew over to Harry. He bowed to Harry. "Hello there, Harry!" He stood up while still holding his head in place. "I see you have visitors! I haven't seen these two before!" He indicated Astra and Nevaeh.  
  
"Well.. you haven't exactly been around lately… did you ever get into the headless hunting club?" said Harry as he put some Fettuccini Alfredo in his mouth.   
  
Nick sighed heavily. "No… I keep hope that I will end up in it, but… no…"  
  
"Astra…Nevaeh… You two never told us about yor school ghosts…" said Ginny.  
  
Astra grinned. "Well.. We have an array of ghosts, but the main for house ghosts of Firestrom are really interesting. There is this southern Civil War soldier that is the Firewind house ghost. His name is Bloody Riley. He's really a sweetheart once you get past the fact that he is a ghost."  
  
"For Lyresong? Hmmm…. Black Friedelinda. She is this German Victorian lady who always wears a black satin dress. She's really nice, once you get past the fact that she sounds a bit like she's trying to chew you out." Said Nevaeh.  
  
"Nosy Nancy is Sealighter's house ghost. She was a hard-nosed journalist who knew her way through every battleground back in World War two. She's always writing stuff on her ghostly pad of paper…" said Astra.  
  
"And Dragonstar?" asked Harry. He remembered the look that all the Dragonstars wore. It was very reminiscent of the Slytherins.  
  
"Dragonstar has….. this old politician guy." Said Nevaeh.  
  
Astra picked up where she left off. "He's cold and mean and all the other ghosts are just plain afraid of him. I think they're afraid that he'll try to sue them or something. His name is Black Jack. He is said to cheat at cards." The groups within hearing range twittered.   
  
"Where did you get all of this information… I'm curious." Asked Hermione.  
  
Astra pointed to Nevaeh as she put a meatball in her mouth. "She's the one you need to ask, Herm…."  
  
"I got it all from this book I've got up in my trunk. I got it back when I first came to Firestrom…" said Nevaeh.  
  
"What's it called?"  
  
"Firestrom; an incomplete study due to lack of funds…" said Nevaeh as she gave a weak smile.  
  
"I should like to see that…" Hermione said as she smiled at the thought of gaining more information.  
  
Ron snickered. "I think you would… It means more information for you, Miss Library."  
  
Hermione slapped Ron on the back of his head. "Lessons from Astra…" Ron went back to eating his food as he rubbed his head. 


	9. Snape's mark

Chapter Nine  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
  
  
A couple weeks went by quickly. Harry had a hard time keeping up with everything that was going on. He had heard reports that a strange man had been seen lurking around in the Forbidden Forest. It all made Harry extremely nervous.   
  
Dumbledore had already put out the Goblet of Fire with the same warning as last year. Fred and George both went to it and dropped their names into the goblet, with the sentiment, "Let the best twin win!"  
  
"Ah yes… Potions is next…" said Ron. He caught up with Hermione and grinned. "Hey, Hermione... could I.."  
  
"No Ron… you should've taken down notes when you had the chance…" she said a little too sniffy. She saw the look on Ron's face. He was getting redder than his hair.  
  
"Sod off, Hermione!" he shouted and walked off ahead of Harry and Hermione.  
  
"Ron! I didn't mean to be so.. I'm sorry!" she said as she ran off after him.  
  
Ron turned around and glared dangerously at Hermione. "It's probably a bad thing VICKY isn't here! You certainly NEED some kind of MALE guidance!" shouted Ron.  
  
Hermione glared at him, her mouth moving, trying to find the words, but looked as if she could find none. "I don't NEED anything! I'm fine on my own! Of course if I NEEDED anything, I wouldn't ask YOU, since you seem perfectly fine being a MAJOR PRAT!"  
  
Hermione stalked off toward the dungeons, leaving a surprised Ron staring at the place where she used to be. "AND DON'T CALL HIM VICKY!" Hermione called out from the darkness.  
  
Harry took Ron by the sleeve and led him down into the dungeons. He walked past Astra and Nevaeh as they were walking to potions as well. Harry smiled at the two girls and waved. "Hullo, girls.."  
  
"Looks like you could use some help there, Harry… I heard the shout-fest from down here." Smiled Astra.  
  
Ron turned on Astra and Nevaeh and growled. "I DON'T NEED HELP!" He ripped himself from Harry and stalked into class.  
  
Astra smirked at Nevaeh. Nevaeh sighed helplessly and shook her head. Harry stared into the classroom. "What has gotten into him…?"  
  
Astra put a hand on his shoulder. "Nothin', hon… nothin; that you should concern yerself with for now…" Harry stared at her and raised an eyebrow. She beamed at him. "SO! Have you figured out which LUCKY lady yer takin' to the Yule Ball when it comes around?"  
  
Harry stared at her incredulously. Was she coming on to him? "Uh…" he managed to get out.  
  
"I hear that there are a couple of LOVELY girls that you've been keepin' on yer brain.. say… a lovely chinese girl and a redhead?" She poked him in the ribs. She was starting to seem a little creepy.  
  
"Uh…" He blushed slightly and ran into the classroom. He made it to his desk in record time.  
  
Astra smirked playfully at Nevaeh. "I think we have a project, Nev…"   
Nevaeh slapped her forehead and sighed. "You need professional help, Astra.. you know that..?"  
  
Astra put a hand on Nevaeh's shoulder and led her inside the classroom. "I already tried to get some, but the nice people would let me in past the front gates."  
  
Professor Snape enjoyed picking on Harry. Harry was used to it by now, though. He chose to ignore him anytime he would start up on his 'I hate Harry' tirade.   
  
Snape grimaced at Harry and the rest of Gryffindors. "It seems our CELEBRITY has forgotten his homework, yet AGAIN… And him being a PREFECT. My, my.. what would Professor McGonagall and the OTHER prefects think of this. Ten points from Gryffindor! Let's see how you fair when you have to make yor antidote from memory--"  
  
"DUDE! WHAT'S THE DEAL! I've been in this class for a good couple of months now and I STILL don't get it! GIT THAT STICK OUT OF YER ASS!"   
  
Harry recognized the voice that was coming from behind him. Harry put his head in his hands and slowly turned around. He saw Astra standing up, pink in her pale cheeks and glaring at Professor Snape. "It's not like he has DONE anything to deserve this, that I can see! Yer just as bad as my Dark Arts teacher!"  
  
Snape looked paler than normal when she mentioned her defense against the dark arts teacher. Nevaeh stood up and smirked. "Yeah! I think yer stick is showing, can I rip it out for you?"  
  
Snape's face went from white to red faster than harry could blink. "YOU TWO! DETENTION! FIFTY POINTS FROM GRYFFINDOR!" Snape growled as Astra growled at him. They both bared their teeth at eachother. To Harry, they looked like a pair of angry cats, ready to pounce on eachother if one of them moved. Harry could see Astra's short cut nails digging into the wood of the desk, just as Snape was gripping the life out of the chair he had his right hand on.  
  
"It seems that the dream team has another couple of members…" Snape said calmly. He still glared at Astra, but his death grip on the chair was lessening.   
  
Astra smirked and crossed her arms in front of her heavy chest. "We're not the dream team…"  
  
Nevaeh smirked on her cue. She stood back up and put her hands on her hips. "We're the TAG TEAM!"  
  
"And you are BOTH serving detention!" grinned Snape dangerously.  
  
Harry shook his head. "Those two are going to lose us points faster than Fred and George do on a daily basis." Whined Ron.  
  
Nevaeh sighed and sat down again. Astra glared at Snape as she sat down in her chair. "Looks like the ickle mudblood halvsie just can't stand up to true authority. Someone should teach you a thing or two about behaving like a GOOD little elf."  
  
Astra glared at Draco, who was smirking at her from the desk next to Nevaeh and hers. Astra suddenly started smirking. "And I suppose that YOU would be that someone, Malformed?"  
  
Draco kept his face set at neutral, although Harry could faintly see a slight tint of pink in his cheeks. "I'm sure you would enjoy it a little TOO much."  
  
"Actually, I think YOU would, Draco and so, therefore, I ain't lettin' yer slimy paws near me." Smirked Astra.  
  
Draco's face went red. "As if I would ever stoop so low in my life. Yor worse than that Granger girl over there, yor barely even human."  
  
"I'm more human than you." Astra's smile grew wider. "And I'd say that was far lower than me." She batted her eyes innocently.  
  
Draco sneered at her and turned around to his partner, Pansy Parkinson. Pansy was a blonde pixie-like girl with large blue eyes. She reminded Astra of her own rival, Catherine Gideon, who enjoyed making Astra's life a living hell. "Wellp… It looks like it's you and me, Mr. Flibble…" said Astra cheerily at her hand, which she had formed into a hand puppet.   
  
Nevaeh smacked her forehead again and sighed. "I swear… one of these days, I'm going to kill you because of that damned hand puppet!"   
  
Harry stared incredulously at Astra making her hand talk. "That girl is nutters, I swear it!" said Ron beside him.  
  
"You and me both, Ron… you and me both!"  
  
After class, Harry walked down the hallway with an amused Ron by his side. Harry had a pair of white, furry rabbit ears coming out of the top of his head, though his midnight hair. "I think they're quite becoming of you, Harry…" Ron looked as if he were having trouble not laughing.  
  
Harry glared at Ron. "Shut it, Weasley."  
  
Ron's smile grew wider and more annoying. "So… should we call you 'Thumper' from now on?"  
  
Harry growled. "You do and I'll show the latest, 'When RABBITS attack'."  
  
Ron gulped and smiled nervously. "Uh… heh.. I think I'll be quiet now."  
  
Harry sighed. "Eh… let's go to Madame Pomfry to get these THINGS taken off." Then, he steered Ron into the infirmary.  
  
Later that night, Astra walked angrily next to Nevaeh. "I swear… If I ever get my hands on the Malformed, I'm going to have a field day with his head. Which includes a PIKE somewhere in there."  
  
Nevaeh sighed. "Astra…. Maybe it would be a good idea for you to lay low for a while instead of being your NORMAL cantankerous self?"  
  
Astra stopped and grinned at Nevaeh. "Good God… you actually used a long word! Congratulations!"  
  
Nevaeh glared at her playfully. "I'll remember this… I'm going to SOOOOOO pay you back for my GREIF!" She said as she feigned being distraught. "Oh mah fleetin' hahrt! Ah DO declare!"   
  
"Alright, Scarlet, you can quit the water works." Smirked Astra. She was feeling better now. They reached the potions classroom door and stopped. "Well… sing the death march for us…"  
  
"Dun dun dun-dun dun dun-dun dun-dun du-dun." Sang Nevaeh in her off key voice as Astra knocked on the door.   
  
The door opened and revealed a sweaty Professor Snape. He looked like he was in pain. Astra stared up at his white face. He sneered down at her. "Professor? Is something wrong? You look sick." Said Astra.  
  
"What are you doing down here." He said shortly. He grabbed his forehead and leaned against the doorframe. Astra stared hard at something she thought she saw on his left forearm, near the hand that was messaging his forehead. "Detention… yor here for detention…"  
  
"Yes, sir… are you alright? You look as if yer in some serious pain there." Astra said as she got closer to him.  
  
Snape started sliding down the doorframe that was supporting him. Astra grabbed his left arm and his waist, and pulled him back up. "SIR!" Snape put a white hand on her shoulder shoved her against the otherside of the doorframe. "GAH!" she said as she felt pain shoot through her spine. "Let go of me!"  
  
Snape staggered inside and glared at the two girls. His face suddenly became calm. "Yor detention has been canceled. Yor released to go."  
  
Astra caught sight of the symbol on his left forearm again. It was a skull with a snake coming out of the mouth. The image was black and looked angry. Nevaeh grabbed Astra's sweater and dragged her down the corridor. When they were out of hearing range of the Dungeons, Astra turned to Nevaeh. "Nev… d-did you see his tattoo?"  
  
Nevaeh looked frightened. "Yes… He's a deatheater. Oh Astra… we need to be careful here. We need to watch out for Harry."  
  
"Don't worry, Nev. We'll be fine, and like hell I'm lettin' some asshole get a hold of Harry." Grimaced Astra determinedly.  
  
They walked back into Gryffindor tower and into the common room. They found Harry sitting with Ron, playing a game of wizard's chess. Astra walked over to Harry and grabbed a nearby chair. She turned it around and sat on it backward like a guy. She rested her chin on her crossed arms on top of the back of the chair. "Hey Harry…" she whispered.  
  
Harry turned to see her staring at him. "Astra… why aren't you in detention with Snape."  
  
"He let us go. Said that our detention had been canceled." Astra paused and looked down at the board. "Ick… I hate chess… I can never remember how the hell I'm supposed to move the pieces. My ex-boyfriend used to revel in beating me."  
  
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Is he back in Firestrom?"  
  
Astra stared up at him with her blue-gray eyes. "He's dead. He died back at the end of fourth year."  
  
Harry bowed his head. "I'm sorry… I didn't know." A thought suddenly struck him. "That's very interesting. We both ride the same type of broom, we're both on our houses' Quidditch teams, and we both saw a student die in our fourth year. Does it seem to you that there are a more than a few coincidences happening here?"  
  
Astra lifted her head and stared at him. "Uh… probably because the writer of this would be universe has a bizarre sense of humor." Astra stared at Harry a little harder. She got closer to his ear and whispered as low as she could to him. "Did you realize that you have a deatheater for a potions professor?"  
  
She backed away. Harry stared at her. "Yes, I did…" Harry shuddered slightly from the memories of that night. He could see Cedric landing on the ground, stiff as a board and dead. He looked to Ron. Ron stared back and motioned over to Hermione. Harry looked back at Astra and smiled. "It's nothing to worry about, Astra. If you'll excuse me.."  
  
He stood up and walked over to the couch that had Hermione sitting on it, reading a book. Harry sat down next to her and Ron too the other side. "Hermione. It sounds as if Snape has been summoned tonight. Do you think he will tell Voldemort about the Triwizard tournament?"  
  
Hermione looked up from her book and stared at Harry. "Oh my God.. What if you-know-who comes to the first task? He'll make us have to shut down the school!" she whispered frantically.  
  
Ron placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. He wouldn't dare. Dumbledore will be there. He wouldn't dare attack the school with him still here."  
  
Hermione stared into the fire. "I hope yor right, Ron."  
  
"I know I'm right. I'm ALWAYS right!" He smirked as he took a dashing pose. Hermione poked him in the ribs.   
  
"Says who…"  
  
"Says me." His grin grew wider. "I'm am INVINSILE! AAARGH!" He fell off the couch and onto the floor. "Ouch…"  
  
Hermione giggled. "Yor invincible alright."  
  
  
  
okay now... press that little review button and give me reviews and comments and ideas if you have them. If you have a thought that you would like to give me, then tell me. I'm doing my damnedest to write this as decently as possible. I'm doing it from a half-assed attempt at a comic book, so bear with me. 


	10. Coincidence?

A/N: T.T I'm sad… my friend Andrea moved away. She is my best friend. At least I'll get to talk to her every now and then.  
  
Okay… I'm sorry ya'll had to wait for this thing. I've been drawing and have decided to finally put in my trademark glasses. I'm a sucker. -.- Although, I changed the color of the rims to match how she looks. Mine are gold and red. ^.^;  
  
Okay... I know the other version of this had a MAJOR slip up of mine that hopefully won't happen again. I deleted some of this so it'll be less likely to chap peoples' asses. Let's all hope for the best! ^.^;;;;  
Anyway… um.. have fun?   
  
Chapter Ten  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
  
At breakfast the owls all swooped in through the windows and over the four tables. A large black owl swooped down over Harry and dropped a small parcel and letter infront of Astra, who was sitting across from him. Hedwig swooped over and collided with the black owl. Astra and Harry both stood up and caught the birds.  
  
"WHOA! Sky! Watch where yer goin' next time!" Astra yelled at her owl.  
  
Harry stared at Hedwig and checked her over. He sighed in relief. "Yer okay girl." The snowy owl hooted comfortingly and shot a golden eyed glare at Sky, then took flight.  
  
Astra smiled weakly at Harry and shrugged. "Sorry… he's a little clumsy sometimes, but.." Her smile got wider as Sky turned into a black cat. She squeezed him hard in a hug. "I WUUV HIM SOOO MUCH!" she giggled as Sky tried desperately to escape.  
  
Harry sniggered at the animal. Ron had been right about Astra. She was strange when it came to animals. Any other person would have sent a strange animal like Skywise to an animal shelter because they had no clue what he was.   
  
Harry sat down and opened his newspaper. Astra opened her parcel and giggled madly. Harry pulled down his newspaper and everyone else around them stared. "What the blazes is wrong with you?!" said Ron through a piece of toast.  
  
Astra turned around bowed her head as if putting on something. She turned around and smiled broadly at everyone. "My glasses have been fixed!"   
  
Harry stared at her. The glasses were small, oval shaped, with silver rims. They fit her blue-gray eyes perfectly. "They don't look half bad." He said approvingly. "Why did you have to have them fixed?"  
  
"Fourth year happened. After a combination of Quidditch and Birdboy, my glasses were completely useless." Sighed Astra. "I don't generally wear them though. My eyesight is quite good by human standards. Elf standards are a little bit different. My mom insisted I get glasses." She pulled a slivery strand behind a pointed ear. "I like wearing them though. They deffinantly have their purposes.." she grinned mischievously.  
  
Harry didn't want to know what those purposes were. From his experience of her for the past couple of months, she had a creepy mind and wasn't afraid to use it. She and Nevaeh came up with tricks that could rival Fred and George, if not weirder. He had thought he had overheard Astra and Nevaeh talking about a love potion the other night. Who they were going to use it on was another story Harry didn't wish to know about.  
  
Harry suddenly straightened as he sniffed the air. He caught some kind of smell that passed by him. It wasn't food, but it smelled just as great. He searched for the name, but couldn't remember. He turned around and couldn't find anyone. "Harry? What's wrong?" asked Hermione who was sipping her pumpkin juice thoughtfully.  
  
He turned around and shook his head. He suddenly remembered the name of the smell. "Sorry about that, but I thought I smelled lilies." He looked around. He saw Cho sitting with the Ravenclaws. He sighed and then caught the smell again. He sniffed silently and turn in the direction it came from. His green eyes fell on a certain red headed girl sitting a couple of people away from him. She was giggling as Nevaeh pretended to be a slave girl fanning her mistress with a "palm leaf". The palm leaf being a paper fan and she was fanning her into the direction of Harry.  
  
Harry turned back to his food and gulped down his breakfast. 'Damnable hormones! Can't they leave me alone!', he groaned inside his mind. He looked up to see an amused Astra staring straight at him. He looked around the table and saw the same look on Fred and George's faces. "What is wrong with you three."  
  
"Nothing. You just had a rather funny expression on yer face, is all.", said Astra looking over the top of her glasses.  
  
Harry glared at her. She started laughing. She stood up on her side of the table and playfully slapped his shoulder. "Yer so much fun to tease!"  
  
Harry smiled. "And you and Nevaeh seem to enjoy teasing me about as much as Fred and George."  
  
"Nah… there isn't anyway THAT could happen, Harry!" smirked Fred.  
  
"They're only novices! We're the masters!" grinned George.  
  
The day went by quickly enough. After their last class, the Gryffindors went to the tower to change. There was a notice on the common room bulletin board. "Looks like tonight we get to see who gets to be Hogwarts champion." Said Ron coming up behind Harry.  
  
All the Gryffindors went to the great hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table with the visiting Firestrom students of a similar house. Soon the great hall was filled up with students waiting both for food and the goblet of fire.   
  
"Who do you think it'll be, Harry?" asked Ron.  
  
"No clue, I just hope it isn't going to be ME this time." He said grimacing at the thought of what had happened the year before. He saw Cedric fall when the green light hit him. Harry shook his head violently.   
  
Dumbledore came out with the goblet and set it down on a stool. "Tonight, we shall see who will be the three champions." He placed his hand over the top of the goblet and a piece of paper flew into his palm. He unraveled it and smiled. "For Firestrom…. Detrik Stiles!"  
  
The entire whole of the Firestrom students at the Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Gryffindor tables erupted into a cacophony of sound. Detrik stood up and bowed. Calls like "Go Detrik!" and "It's yer birthday, it's yer birthday!" rang out loud and clear, as well as "Yee Haw!" and "Woo hoo!".   
  
Miss White stood up and smiled graciously. "Okay, kids…. We'll celebrate later!" The room suddenly went as quiet as a morgue. She smiled up at Dumbledore and nodded her head. "You may continue, Albus."  
  
Another slip of paper flew into Dumbledore's palm. "For Annunziata… Bambina Rouselini!" The Annunziata students all clapped for the brunette girl with the large brown eyes as she stood up. She bowed and smiled brightly at everyone.   
  
"And now for the Hogwarts Champion." Said Dumbledore as the final strip of paper flew into his palm.  
  
Harry shut his eyes and chanted frantically inside his mind. 'It's not going to be me. It's not going to be me. It's not going to be…'  
  
"George Weasley!" Harry's jaw dropped. The entire Gryffindor table erupted in cheers. Fred patted his twin on the back as they grinned madly at one another.  
  
"The first ask will be on December fifteenth. And now… we shall have dinner!" smiled Dumbledore as he sat down.  
  
After dinner, Harry went up to his dorm room. He had been poring over the possibilities of escaping from the upcoming Yule Ball to be with Sirius or Lupin for the Christmas Holidays. He knew that wouldn't be possible, with Remus Lupin helping Sirius gather allies. He just wanted to escape from having to deal with the pressure of asking out a girl for the dance. He couldn't even choose whom he should ask.  
  
That wasn't entirely true though. Harry had been thinking about asking Cho, but every time he saw her, he got that damnable image of Cedric falling to the ground like a log romping around his skull. Then, he thought about Hermione. She was a pretty girl, but there would have been nothing in it except friendship.   
  
Harry banged his head on his desk repeatedly. It felt surprisingly good to do so. He sat back in his chair and leaned his head against the back of it. He closed his eyes and tried to think. He suddenly got a whiff of a scent the he reminded him of summer all the time. 'Sunflowers…?' He opened his eyes to see a pair blue-gray eyes staring into his.   
  
"Wakey, wakey…"  
  
Harry yelped and threw a book at the person as he vaulted across his bed. He grabbed his wand and pointed it at the pale figure on the ground. Astra held up her hand in defeat and pulled herself onto his bed, trying to stand. "I surrender!" she said as she rubbed the purple bruise forming on her forehead. "Geezus… what are your trying to do, murder me!?"  
  
Harry relaxed some and lowered his wand. "You surprised me, Astra. I'm sorry." He walked around his bed. He reached out his hand to help her up.   
  
She waved it off and cracked her neck. "I haven't been hit like that for a long time. The last time that happened, I was seven and some kid threw a rock at me." She moved the right side of her bangs out of the way of a small scar that was over her right eyebrow. "Needless to say, it hurt like hell." She pointed to a second scar right above the first. "That one I got from some idiot kid who threw a broken water gun behind him and I so happened to get hit with the sharp edges. Again... hurt like hell."  
  
He started remembering when he first got her letter. He remembered the letter that asked him if he could come to her house. He always wondered what made him accept, especially since they had only talk to eachother for a month or so. Then, he wondered how on Earth Hedwig was able to go to America and back in a few days. It all made little sense.  
  
"By the way Harry… who are you taking to the Yule ball?" She asked as she took his chair and sat down.  
  
Harry sat down on his bed and stared at her seriously. "Astra…. Let me ask you something first. Why did you take in Hedwig when you didn't even know who's it was and why a complete stranger gave her to you?"  
  
"You see what kind of pet I've got? Who would be dumb enough to keep a strange animal that there are no records about." She reached up her right hand and played with some of her somewhat tame hair. "Only someone like me would. Elves have an affinity for wildlife and I seemed to have inherited it."  
  
"How did Hedwig get the letters back and forth so quickly. I sent her to South America and she came back four WEEKS later." He kept his wand in his hand.  
  
"Truth be told….? I haven't the faintest clue, really. Skywise is the fastest owl I have ever seen. It's like he can apparate in mid flight. I don't know how he does it." She said with a smirk.  
  
"That still doesn't explain how Hedwig did it."  
  
"Like I said… Skywise is a fast owl. I sent him out every night and I'm guessing that he met her just before she left England."   
  
Harry stared at her. How was it possible? Then, he remembered Skywise and thought of another question. "Why did you except her from that man?"  
  
"I don't know… I guess I just felt compelled to take the bird."  
  
Why did Sirius give Hedwig to her in the first place? It racked Harry's brain trying to think of all this at once. "What kind of Elf are you? The only elves I have ever seen are the house elves."  
  
"Danish. They are all like the elves in The Lord of the Rings. My mother, I'm guessing, is one of the throwbacks or something, because I've read that they are supposed to be smart. You've met my mother, she's a ditz!" They both laughed.  
  
"You said that you've been a parselmouth for as long as you can remember. How?"   
  
"I don't know, I just am. I know it's a rare gift, but since I love snakes anyway, it's not so scary being one." She smiled. "Yer one as well, right?"  
  
"Yeah…." He started getting nervous at the question.  
  
As if she could read his thoughts, she changed the subject. "Well… anyway… what I came up here for was to ask you who you were planning on taking to the Yule Ball."  
  
Harry felt like banging his head against a wall. They had gone back the one question that was giving him a major headache for the past month and a half. "I haven't the faintest idea…" He growled. "I have two girls I want to ask, but I can't choose which one."  
  
"Well… I guess I'll go get Ron and bring him up here for ya… ya might feel better talking to him or Hermione about it." She smiled weakly.   
  
"No… I can't tell either of them this. One of them was a candidate and the other is his sister." He realized that came out a little jumbled.  
  
"And it starts yet again." Astra muttered.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Oh… all my life I've always ended up being the counselor Troy amongst my friends. Mainly asking love advice. It's really a wonder why." She said as she started rubbing her left temple. "I mean… the only boyfriend I've ever had was Leon and he…" she stopped and didn't finish.  
  
'The similarities grow…' he thought. "What happened to him exactly."  
  
"Last year, Donovan tried to kill me for the unicorn blood running through my veins. In an attempt, he accidentally killed Leon as he ran in front of me to take the blow." A tear ran down her cheek, but she seemed to be keeping her emotions in order. Like any male would to keep his 'macho' image.   
  
She wiped away the tear and smiled. "Welp… I guess you'll have to think about the pros and cons of each subject. Cho… is nice and sweet and shy, but how does she make you feel?"  
  
Harry thought a moment. "Like my insides are melting into a puddle."  
  
"How about Ginny?"   
  
Harry remembered the lily scent that followed her around that morning. "Like my insides are melting into a puddle."  
  
"You aren't gonna help me much here, are you."   
  
Harry blushed. Astra smiled and stood up. "I guess the best advice I can give is go talk to Ginny and Cho. Maybe you can discern it all from that. I can't help ya anymor than what I just told you." She said as she stretched, cracking her back as she did so. "See ya, dude." she said as she threw him a peace sign. She walked out of the dorm room and disappeared down the stairs. 


	11. First Task

Okay... ya'll demanded it and now here it is! I hope it isn't too confusing!  
  
Chapter Eleven  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
  
Astra leaned against the wall outside the room of Miss White. She sighed and walked in. Miss White was writing a letter as she patted a white barn owl on its head. "Miss White?"  
  
Miss white smiled and looked up. "Hello, Miss Knight… How may I help you?"  
  
Astra shuffled her feet slightly. "I had a rather interesting conversation with Harry yesterday."  
  
"Interesting because questions about your first meeting came up?" Miss White said with a mysterious smile across her face.  
  
Astra stared at her. "Yes….Well…why did you suggest to me that I invite Harry over to my house?"  
  
Miss White smiled brightly at Astra. "My dear… I'm your Time travel teacher, of course I knew about it."  
  
Astra shook her head and walked out. 'Damned woman always gives me a headache when she does that to me.'  
  
Harry on the other hand was still racking his brain on the many possibilities of asking either Cho or Ginny to the Yule ball. He leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes. 'Ah yes.. déjà vu…' He thought quietly as images of a pair of bright brown eyes filtered into his mind. He suddenly caught a scent. It reminded him of spring. "Lilies…" he said softly as he opened his eyes. A pair of brown eyes stared into his green.   
  
"Harry?"  
  
Harry leaned forward and stood up. He blushed and smiled weakly. "Um… hello, Ginny.."  
  
She giggled at him. "Are you alright? You look a bit pink."  
  
The pink in his cheeks faded slightly. "What did you want?"  
  
"Oh… I was wondering if you had seen Ron today." She smiled.   
  
Suddenly, Harry's insides melted into a puddle around his ankles. Harry started trying to think of what to say when Ron burst into the room. His magic puddle of innards froze where they were. "Harry! I just overheard Filch talking about the first task!"  
  
Harry glared at Ron slightly. He then shook his head and came back to reality. Ron stared between Harry and Ginny and back. "Ginny… what are you doing in here…Go away! This is the BOYS Dorm!"  
  
"Oh how nice of you…." Ginny growled as she started to stalk off. "I'll have you know that I can come up here if I want!" She smirked and kicked her brother on his rear and then ran off before he could catch her. "Lessons from Astra! HAHA!"  
  
Ron shook his head. "Sisters…" He looked back at Harry and regained his previous expression. "We need to find George! He'll need to be told!"  
  
Harry stared at him. "Knowing Fred and George, they'll have already found a way to find out."  
  
"True, but what if they have only been working on their jokes together and not tried to find out about the first task." Said Ron.  
  
"Now your sounding like Hermione."   
  
"I am? Wow… that's strange." Ron said as he stared into space.   
  
"Speaking of Hermione, where is she?" said Harry watching his friend carefully.  
  
"Oh… I don't know… probably reading Hogwarts: a history for the millionth time."   
  
Harry smirked. "So have you asked anyone out for the Yule ball yet?" Harry said as he fake punched Ron on the shoulder.  
  
Ron reddened. "Um… not yet…but we've got plenty of time, don't we?"  
  
Harry sighed. "You remember what happened last year, don't you?"  
  
Ron blushed a deeper shade of red. "Yeah… but.. I don't who I should ask!"  
  
"Neither do I, but at least I'm trying to THINK about it!"   
  
"Was that what you were doing up here with Ginny…" Ron's face was devoid of the red and was now staring at him with a dark intent glowing in his eyes.  
  
Harry gulped. "No…"  
  
Ron smiled. "Good… now… let's see… whom should I ask…" Ron started listing girls as he walked out of the door. Harry sighed and sat down.   
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Astra pulled up her seat next to Cho and Nevaeh. "Okay… operations 'lily green' and 'rose red' are back in order. George and Fred are the overseers here."  
  
"Thank you, Astra." Said Fred as he comically bowed at the girls.  
  
"I have an idea that should get Ron and Hermione to admit their feelings, but Harry and Ginny?"  
  
"They are both way to shy for their own good." Said Nevaeh.  
  
"Why not have Ginny and Harry be in the same room together for a large amount of time?" said Cho. Her brown eyes glancing around to everyone.  
  
Astra perked up. "Tried that already. Ron came bursting in and ruined it all."  
  
"Looks like we'll have to do both operations simultaneously in order to keep Ron from interrupting with his big mouth." Said Fred with a smirk.  
  
"Good idea, Fred. You and George will take care of Rose Red and we girls will deal with Lily Green." Smirked Nevaeh.   
  
Cho smiled mysteriously. "You know…. Harry is such a sweet guy… he's really like a puppy that you want to take home… I wonder if I shouldn't just drop myself from this operation.."   
  
Cho was surprised by an intensely cold stare coming from directly in front of her. Astra had Cho somewhat pinned in her chair as she stared at her. "You wouldn't dare."  
  
Cho shook her head from the fear she suddenly felt from being that close to those cold eyes. Nevaeh placed a hand Astra's shoulder and Astra sat down. "Besides… if you break out now… Nevaeh here will hit you with the biggest memory charm you will ever know or I should say FORGET." She snickered.  
  
"Astra… you can be very scary… you know that?" said Fred who was sitting in his twin's lap, both mocking to be terrified.  
  
"It all in the eyes, boy… It's all in the eyes…." She said as she pretended to file her nails and blow dust from them. She glanced over at Cho who was still pale from the brief intermission. Astra sighed and placed a friendly hand on Cho's shoulder. "I'm sorry…. I didn't mean to scare you like that. How can I make it up?"  
  
Nevaeh grinned. "I know! How about a karate battle!"  
  
Both Astra and Cho turned slowly to stare at Nevaeh. "Nevaeh… are you daft? We could kill each other doing that!" said Cho.  
  
"I don't know… it might be fun to watch." Smiled the twins mischievously.  
  
"Okay… how about this? Who says I know karate anyway!" said Cho.  
  
"We could get Draco into it and have a threesome!" said Nevaeh.  
  
Astra clasped a hand on her shoulder. "Nevaeh… even to a baby that didn't sound right."  
  
Nevaeh turned brilliant red. "Gerroff me!" She shouted as she shoved Astra away with her foot to Astra's face.  
  
Astra put a hand on Nevaeh's foot and lifted it up. "That hurt, y'know." Then, she giggled. "You know… blue under wear doesn't suit you."  
  
"ACK! PERVERT!" Nevaeh kicked Astra with her other foot, sending the pale girl across the room.  
  
George stood up and grinned. "Blue?" He said as he sidled up to Nevaeh. Nevaeh blushed and threw a book at his head.   
  
Fred laughed helped his twin off the floor. "You like the volatile ones, don't you."  
  
Nevaeh blushed a deeper shade of red and sat down. Astra stood up and grinned. "She isn't actually the mean one. She just is when you embarrass her."  
  
Fred grinned. "Hey… who are you going to the Yule ball with anyway, Astra?"  
  
"No one… I--"  
  
"Neither was I."  
  
"That's because ickle Fred has a crush on a girl that already left Hogwarts!" chimed Geroge.   
  
"That's it!" Fred started pounding George with his fist. Astra and Nevaeh both pried off Fred and sat him on his chair.   
  
"How about this, Fred. We'll both go together, but still be going stag, kay?" said Astra, trying to use her diplomatic skills.  
  
"That sounds like a good plan, Astra!" Fred said as he brushed his hand through his flaming hair.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
December fifteenth came and everyone was outside on the Quidditch Pitch staring at a large bushy maze. "This is going to be exciting said a girl next to Harry. Harry looked over the grounds and spotted Percy with Cornelius Fudge in the main stand where the megaphone was. Both wore identical stern expressions.  
  
Ron sat next to Harry and Hermione. "Looks like Percy's here."  
  
Hermione watched as Lee Jordan stood up and picked up the megaphone. "Good afternoon everyone! Welcome to the first task of this year's Triwizard Tournament! Will the Champions come out please!"  
  
As he listed off the names, Bambina, George and Detrik all filed out of the players' entrance. They walked over to the entrance of the maze. "When I call your name, enter the maze." Said Professor McGonnagal to the three.  
  
Harry watched as Detrik entered the maze, then George and then Bambina. He watched Detrik battle a Boggart that had turned into a giant keg of bad American beer with arms and legs try to wrestle him to the ground and make him drink it. "Poor widdle Detrik… he always did hate American beer." Said Astra from behind him.  
  
Bambina was having her own troubles with a small dragon in her way. Detrik finally broke free of the keg and ran to the center where he disappeared underneath a trellis. "Looks like he's through though." Said Nevaeh.  
  
Suddenly, Harry's head exploded in pain. (nice mental picture!) He pried open his eyes and saw a dark figure walking into the bushes. "Damn it! ARGH!" Pain shot through his entire head.  
  
Ginny, who was sitting directly behind Harry, leaned forward and placed a hand on his back. "Are you alright, Harry?"   
  
"Whoa, dude! You okay!" said Astra.  
  
Ron and Hermione stood up, earning shouts from people in the way. "Aw, shut it!" growled Ron. He got to Harry. "You okay, Harry?"  
  
"My scar… grrrah! It hurts!"   
  
Ginny pried his hand from his scar and gasped. "It's black!"  
  
"Holy shit. What the hell is going on Harry?" exclaimed Nevaeh.  
  
Hermione looked down at the field. "Oh God… Does anyone else see a dark figure going through the maze?"  
  
Everyone, except Harry, turned and looked at the field. Ron said something that made Hermione slap him. Astra looked at Nevaeh cluelessly. Ginny's face drained of all color. "It's him! I know it!" whispered Harry frantically. He was sweating profusely.  
  
Ginny wiped the sweat with her handkerchief. "We need to get down there. George is still down there as well as Bambina." She said as she wiped the sweat from Harry's shut eyes.  
  
"Where's Fred?" asked Astra.   
  
"He's over there in one of the stands across the field." Said Hermione. "We had better get down there now."  
  
The group of six filed out of the stands and snuck into the maze. George, meanwhile, disappeared under the trellis where he found a Sphinx snoring in her sleep. "Oh my giddy aunt… where is the Griffin that Fred said he heard Filch complaining about." He muttered.  
  
The Sphinx woke up and looked over at him. "hmm?" Then, she suddenly smiled. "Yer cuuuute!"  
  
George fell onto the ground. He stood up quickly and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Uh heh… don't you have a riddle or something to tell me?"  
  
"I do?" The Sphinx tapped her chin thoughtfully. "I told the other hottie to go uh… get something out of that chest, I think."  
  
George walked over to a large chest and opened it. Inside were two small chests. "I think yer only supposed to talk one of them." She suddenly started giggling madly. "Yer cuter than the other two guys that came in here!"  
  
George turned around quickly. "Two?"  
  
"Oh yes! The second guy was HOTT! Black hair… red eyes… scrummy!" said the Sphinx as she giggled madly.  
  
"GEORGE!"  
  
George turned around and saw the group of six headed toward him. "RON! What the hell are you doing in here! Do you want me disqualified!?"  
  
"Harry saw someone--"  
  
"Bojorno! You don't mind if I come in, do you!" said the cheerful voice of Bambina as she jogged into the covered area. "Sorry I'm late… Shouldn't you be out of the maze?"  
  
Suddenly, a cold high laughter was heard. Harry nearly doubled over in pain. He looked over to the dark figure emerging into the covered area. He took off his hood and smiled. His black hair was cut short and accented his white skin. His black rimmed red eyes burned into Harry. "Hello Harry… I wanted to thank you personally for your blood. It seems to have done a wonderful job restoring my appearance."  
  
Harry glared at Voldemort and held his wand aloft, ready for anything. 'Why doesn't he attack!' he thought to himself.  
  
Everyone else got out the wands and waited. Astra stared at the black haired man. "That must be Voldemort."  
  
"Like there are pictures of the guy." Said Nevaeh.  
  
"Oh… it would be so EASY to kill you…. To kill all of you…" he glanced over at Ginny, who was very pale now, but held out her wand dangerously. "Ah yes…. The little Weasley girl…"  
  
"Leave her alone!" shouted Harry.   
  
Astra stepped forward and withdrew her wand. "You can't harm all of us if we decide to attack you together as one."  
  
Voldemort regarded her for a second. Harry backed into the group of friends. "She's right… if we all attack at the same time, you won't have a leg to stand on." Harry knew it was a lie, but he glared at Voldemort all the same. He just hoped he could get everyone out before Voldemort did decide to attack. He wasn't about to lose more people.  
  
"I see you have protection again… it won't last long, though." Smirked Voldemort. "Until the next time!" He suddenly disappeared from the grounds.  
  
Bambina shook visibly from fear. "It's all true! He is back!" She then ran out of the maze.   
  
"You people! You're violating the rules!" said Mr. Fudge as he trudged up on the group.  
  
"Ron! What are you doing here! You weren't trying to help George were you!?" came Percy's irritated voice. "And here I thought I had set a good example!"  
  
"Shove it, Perce! We came down here because Harry spotted You-know-who coming into the maze!" growled Ron. Percy went pale.  
  
Fudge went pale as well and sputtered slightly. "He's lying! I saw NOTHING up in the stands!"  
  
"He wasn't lying, Cornelius. I saw him as well." Said Dumbledore as he came into the covered area with McGonnagal and Miss White trailing behind him.  
  
Vittorio came into the covered area as well. "I saw him as well…. I will NOT let my students stay here any longer!" She said as she grabbed Bambina's arm and stalked off.  
  
"Welp… there goes the tournament." Said Astra to Nevaeh.  
  
"There goes the courage of the ice queen." Nevaeh said. 


	12. Tension is a killer

A/N: Okay…. The part where harry feels like shit after Ginny talks to him, that entire part was done while listening to a midi file of a song called glass that I think was done by ayumi hamasaki. Can't remember. Look up "glass.mid" (with the quotation marks) on google and might be able to find it.  
  
I listen to a lot of midi files and they give me my inspiration. Ayumi Hamasaki is one of the singers I like to listen to as well as Janne Da Ark and The Pool bit Boys(one guy in THAT troupe is VERY pretty.) Ninnase Aikawa is a good person to listen to as well as listening to "Come to me" and "Hold me, Thrill me, Kiss Me, Kill me"  
  
Have a nice day!  
  
Chapter Twelve  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
  
"Well…. What are we going to do now?" asked Harry. "The Tournament has been canceled and no Yule Ball, right?"  
  
"I think I overheard the Head Girl talking about the Yule Ball still planned, but not the Yule Ball… it'll be just a dance." Said Hermione.  
  
"THAT made sense." Said Ron.  
  
Fred and George grinned. "So Hermione… planning on taking Viktor to the Dance? I hear you two got on well while you were over there in Bulgaria."  
  
Hermione blushed slightly. "I wouldn't say that."  
  
"I suppose the VICKY and you will have such a WONderful time, won't you. It's not right, I tell you…" said a grumbling Ron.  
  
"What is wrong with it, Ron? You aren't JEALOUS are you?" smirked Hermione.  
  
"OF COURSE NOT! I just don't think it's right! You know he wants more than a peck on the cheek from you!" sulked Ron.  
  
Hermione slapped him on the cheek. "I'll have you know… he was a complete gentleman to me the entire time I was there! What is WRONG with you lately!? You sound as if you're proving Nevaeh's theory correct! What is not right about me going off to Bulgaria?"  
  
Ron blushed red and rubbed his cheek. "He's bloody eighteen! Your only fifteen!"  
  
"Well.. I'm sure my BOYFRIEND would protect me if I HAD one!"  
  
"What do you want me to do! Ask you out?!"  
  
"That would be a nice start!"  
  
"Fine! You're going out with me to the dance!"  
  
"FINE! I accept!"  
  
The twins looked at eachother then to Harry. "What just happened here?" Harry asked.  
  
"I don't know… I think they admitted their feelings for one another." Said Fred rubbing his temples.  
  
"Come on… let's get out of here and give them some privacy. It has just given me a migraine." Said George.  
  
They walked out of the boys' dormitory into the common room when Astra and Nevaeh came out of now where and sidled up to Harry. "Hey, guy, what's up?" said Astra.  
  
"Yeah… I hear you've chosen a girl to take to the dance. Who is she?" asked a smirking Nevaeh.  
  
"What? What're you two talking about! I haven't asked ANYONE!" Harry looked between the two of them confusedly.  
  
"That's not what I heard…. I heard that you had asked Cho and she said yes!" smirked Astra.  
  
Ginny suddenly looked up from her spot right next to Harry by the fire. The girls had led him towards there. Her face went pale and she frowned. She stood up and bowed slightly to the three. "Excuse me, please."  
  
Harry watched as the teary eyed girl walked off up the stairs to the dormitories. 'Bloody hell…. What am I going to do now? Wait a minute! They said Cho accepted right? I wonder if it's true!' he thought to himself.  
  
He broke away from the two girls and ran out the door. Astra gave Nevaeh a high five and they walked off to play a game of exploding snap. "Astra… do you think that those two will get together after this?"  
  
"Nevaeh! I thought you knew me better than that. He'll wise up… eventually." Said Astra.  
  
"I was wondering…. What is going on between the two of you." Asked Nevaeh.  
  
Astra stared at her incredulously. "ExSQUEEZE me? Have you lost yer brain? He's like the sibling I SHOULD'VE had!"  
  
Nevaeh blushed. "I didn't mean like that…. I meant simply that there are a lot of coincidences between the two of you. Well… except for a BUNCH of differences like yer preferences in loves. Arrogance seems to be an attraction to you!"  
  
"Meaning what?"  
  
"I didn't mean a thing by it…" Nevaeh said innocently. "Maybe Draco is the next subject to your infatuation with bad boys." Nevaeh giggled madly.  
  
Astra grimaced. "Draco isn't evil… he's IRRITATING."  
  
"Sure sure… but back to the question at hand."  
  
"I don't know really… it's almost as if the universe made me to help Harry. For what, I haven't the faintest idea. I swear the writer is on crack!" Astra paused. "Talking to him is a bit strange for the two of us, I think. It's a little bit like I'm talking to myself."  
  
"You do that with me." Said Nevaeh.  
  
"Not the same. It really is like I'm talking to a sibling I've known forever." Astra looked at Nevaeh seriously now. "You know that I've always been able to do that with certain people. It's a natural thing with me."  
  
"Well… what ever is going on… I certainly hope it doesn't kill you OR him… I'd hate to have to tell Draco that he can't have a romp with yer ears!" Giggled Nevaeh as she dashed up the stairs.  
  
"NEV! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Astra shouted as she dashed up as well.  
  
Meanwhile, Harry had found Cho in the great hall. He sat down with her and smiled. "I heard that you were going to come with me to the dance?"  
  
Cho looked up and smiled. "I am? Oh Harry! I'll have to dig out my dress robes!" She giggled madly and dashed out of the room.  
  
Harry sat on the bench at the Ravenclaw table staring into space. He felt somewhat empty. "She didn't know? S-she didn…. Those girls… they set me up!"  
  
He stood up suddenly and looked around at everyone. They all stared at him. "What are you staring at! Haven't you seen a famous boy get a DATE before?!"  
  
Everyone immediately turned back to what they were doing and he walked out of the great hall. He saw Ginny walking down the hallway. Her normally bright brown eyes had a gray tone to them now. She walked up to him and smiled knowingly with sadness to it. "Hello Harry…"  
  
"Ginny I…"  
  
She put up a hand. "I hope you have a grand time at the dance… see you later."  
  
She walked away and Harry suddenly felt extremely empty inside. Like a glass that had fallen to the floor and shattered everywhere. He couldn't figure out why. He shook his head and thought about dancing with Cho. He smiled in spite of himself. He then walked toward Gryffindor tower.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Stuck in Transfiguration, Astra sighed heavily. She really didn't like Transfiguration. It was hard work and it bugged her that every time she tried to do something it came out rotten. Nevaeh was having fun with it. That bugged Astra as well, but she never voiced it.  
  
Astra enjoyed the challenge of Potions. It always gave her a thrill to make a potion and to prove the teacher wrong. That was why she enjoyed being Defense against the Dark Arts class. She could prove her normal teacher wrong about her. Astra sighed again and tried to give herself rabbit ears.  
  
Suddenly, Harry heard a loud BOING ring out in the classroom. Harry turned and glanced over at Astra, who was sitting behind him. A lock of her bangs was suddenly curly. Suddenly, five more loud BOINGS rang out in the now VERY quiet classroom. Half of Astra's hair was curled.  
  
"Miss Knight, I--" The room suddenly filled the loud boinging. Harry watched as almost every strand on her head became curled. "Miss Knight!"  
  
Astra coughed nervously. "Sorry professor…" she grumbled just as the last lock of hair curled instantly with a loud boing.  
  
After class, Harry and Nevaeh led Astra off to see Madame Pomfrey. "You make one wise crack and I'll crack yer head." She growled at Harry. He coughed nervously.  
  
"Aw… the poor ickle halvsie has curls now? How sad…" said a drawling voice from behind them.  
  
"Shove it, Draco… I'm not in the mood for yer little comments." Growled Astra.  
  
"Who said I was commenting, a little bit of filth you are. Who would want to go out with a girl who is barely even human." He sneered.  
  
"You should talk…. Yer not even human… yer some sort of alien creature that decided to PRETEND to be human." Snarled Astra. Her cold eyes burned into Draco's own.  
  
"Don't you dare to pretend to know me, girl… I could have your head on a pike if I so chose." He said quietly as his cold gray eyes stared into hers. "You certainly aren't warranted to suppose to talk to me in that manner."  
  
"I suppose I would have to have permission to insult you, huh… where as you can come up to me any day and call me anything you damn well choose." By now, they had drawn a crowd.  
  
"Yes, actually…."  
  
"Then, may I call you an insensitive blonde PRAT!" she growled.  
  
"What's going on here?" asked Harry.  
  
"I'm not sure…. It sounds like they're insulting eachother and flirting at the same time.." said a stunned Nevaeh.  
  
"How can that be possible?" asked Harry.  
  
"Yer asking me this why?" said Nevaeh.  
  
"How can you look down at me when yer almost SHORTER than me!"  
  
"How can you play Quidditch when yor so fat!" Draco sneered. Everyone gasped. He leaned in close to her ear and whispered something. "Yor no match for me…"  
  
"I could tell you differently, malformed!" she spat at him. She suddenly punched him in the gut. Draco doubled over and slunk to the ground.  
  
"Ten points from Gryffindor!" came McGonnagal's voice through the crowd.   
  
"Ten points well worth it…" growled Astra. She then stalked off to the infirmary.  
  
Harry grabbed Nevaeh's arm and dragged her into the infirmary as well. They found Astra sitting on a bed as Madame Pomfrey started transfiguring Astra's hair to be straight again.  
  
"What was all that about!" said Harry as he watched a satisfied smile cross her lips.   
  
"I one upped him again… I'm getting really good, ne?" she smirked. She was suddenly as giddy and cheerful as she normally was.  
  
"I'll say… too bad Ron wasn't here… he would've enjoyed watching Draco get pummeled." Said a grinning Harry.  
  
Nevaeh smirked. "Looks like I've something to do now…" she said simply before walking off.  
  
Crabbe and Goyle brought in a very pale Draco. The dropped him on the bed next to Astra and she smiled as he writhed in pain. "You students…" growled Madame Pomfrey. "You always have to get into fights, don't you."  
  
She looked between the two people glaring at eachother. "It was probably a lovers spat."  
  
Astra and Draco jumped up and growled at the same time. "IT WAS NOT!"  
  
She pushed Draco down onto his bed and shooed Astra out the door. "Now you!… go back to your common!" she said to Astra. "You! Lay down now before I strap you down!" Draco complied immediately. 


	13. The Ball

A/N: Hee hee… I live to shock people. *tee hee*   
  
I have now designated Glass to be Harry and Ginny's theme for this year. Maybe I'll switch it to something less bittersweet when I start to write sixth year. Right now… there needs to be a bittersweet melody to fit the bittersweet tone.  
  
Fellow H/G shippers out there! Don't kill me yet! I have yet to figure how I'm going to get Harry and Ginny together! Maybe I'll do it at the end or maybe towards the end so that we can have some silliness, but the would ruin the fun! ACK! I'm so unproductive…::cries::  
  
And yes… I have enough courage to put myself out of commission for a while. All because I fear that I will most certainly be tempted to steal centre stage. Damned ego… it never leaves me alone. -.-*  
  
Man oh man… I have a HOTT pictur I drew of Voldie, though… AHAH! It's where he is swaggering into the Great Hall through a broken window.  
  
This isn't how it went in my comic book, by the by. It went very differently when I drew it, as most everything I do does. I'm listening to "I disappear" by Metallica for when Voldie shows up.  
  
Anyone have any ideas about music? TELL MEEEE, DAMN IT!  
  
Chapter Thirteen  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
  
  
"Geez, Nev… How long are ya gonna take!" sighed Astra as she tapped her foot on the floor. She was wearing a Chinese style red and black dress robes. Half of her hair was pulled up in a braided bun with black chopsticks holding it up. She blew a lock of her messy bangs from her face.  
  
"SHUTCHER MOUTH! I'M SORRY IF I LIKE TO TAKE MY SWEET FRICKEN TIME TO GET DRESSED!", shouted Nevaeh from behind the bathroom door.  
  
Astra snickered. "Roawr *hiss* SOMEbody's in a bitchy mood tonight."  
  
"BE QUIET! I'M NERVOUS AS IT IS WITHOUT YOU SCREWIN' WITH MY HEAD!", Nevaeh growled.  
  
"Hullo Astra!" came Harry's voice from behind Astra. Astra turned and waved cheerily at Harry as he walked into the dorm room. Harry was wearing his emerald green robes. "What are you doing up here…. Fred is waiting down stairs for you."  
  
"I'll be right down… don't fret over it. I just promised Nev that I would do her make-up for her.", she smiled. "Actually… Nev's so nervous, she doesn't know whether she shoulder put her shoes on her hands or her feet."  
  
Harry sniggered. He turned is emerald eyed gaze to a stunning girl coming up behind him. "Harry! There you are!" said Ginny. She was wearing maroon dress robes with an off the shoulder look. "Ron and Hermione are looking for you!"  
  
Harry gulped. "Sorry… I didn't see them…" The strange emptiness returned as he stared at Ginny.  
  
The Great Hall was decked out as it was last year for the Yule Ball. Fairy lights were everywhere, lightly illuminating the room and the garden outside. The high ceiling emanated the night sky, which were all stars and a half moon.  
  
Harry came in with Cho on his arm and he was grinning broadly. Ginny came in with Neville and looking both happy and sad at the same time. Ron came in with Hermione on his arm and both were blushing madly. Nevaeh walked in on George's arm. He would smile down at her every now and then to get her to blush a light pink. Fred and Astra walked in, arm in arm, and then pretended to do the tango to their table. Harry laughed at them, as did Cho.  
  
Draco came in with Pansy Parkinson on his arm. She sneered at Astra as she passed by to walk to their table. Draco stopped and stared down at Astra. "Nice dress…" he said softly.  
  
"Nice robes, shorty."  
  
"Fatty."  
  
"Prat."  
  
"Bitch." Draco then walked to his table next to Pansy and gave her a kiss on her cheek.   
  
Astra turned around and shook her head. "That boy is strange… I swear it."  
  
Harry, from the next table, smiled. Food appeared on all the plates, now. Harry had a steak in front of him with other bits of food scattered on his plate. He looked over at Cho and saw that she was eating a grilled chicken breast. She smiled at him as she ate.  
  
Ron smiled at Hermione and she blushed. "I still can't believe you two…" said Harry.  
  
"What! Just because it took me four years to recognize her as a girl, doesn't mean I never liked her!" grinned Ron.  
  
"Three… because you got jealous of Viktor last year." Corrected Hermione.  
  
"I was not jealous!" scowled Ron.  
  
"Were too… you were talking about him like a prized person who couldn't be touched, then suddenly you talked about him like he was a disease." They glared at each other angrily.  
  
Harry shook his head and glanced over at the next table over. Ginny sat and ate her food quietly. Neville tried his best to get her to smile, but she would only smile politely and continue to eat.  
  
Harry turned to smile at Cho. "Do you like your food?" he asked.  
  
Cho looked up at him. "Hmmm? Oh! Yes… I do…" She looked over at Ginny and frowned slightly. Her lips thinned slightly.   
  
"What is the matter?"  
  
Cho turned to look at him. "Nothing… I was just thinking." She smiled and kissed him on the cheek. Harry's insides made a lurch. He gulped and forced down his stomach.  
  
"What was that for?" he asked her smiling.  
  
"For asking me to go to the dance. I had no one else to go with and I was actually planning on going home." She said as she ate some salad.  
  
Harry suddenly realized that he had never actually talked to her before. "What's your home like?"  
  
"Oh… nothing special, really…" She smiled. "There are some traditions that my mother and father like to keep, but for the most part it's any normal English family."  
  
"Huh? Traditions?"  
  
Cho slapped her forehead suddenly. Harry eyed her. "You don't know much about other cultures, do you." She said through her hand.  
  
"Um… sorry?" Harry didn't know whether or not he should run and hide now. "Is there something I need to know?"  
  
"Huh? Uh… no… I was just explaining, is all…" She made another glance at Ginny's direction. Then, she looked toward the twin's table. She looked somewhat nervous.  
  
"Are you alright? You look nervous." Said Harry. Cho turned her brown-eyed gaze to him. He noted a faint smell emanating from her. 'Cherry blossoms?'   
  
"Yes.. I am..I was just thinking…" she said quickly. Harry started wondering why she was so nervous or why she kept glancing towards Ginny and the twins.  
  
When everyone had finished eating, Dumbledore had cleared an area for the dance floor. Four people filed onto the makeshift stage. They looked like any muggle rock band he had ever seen. The singer was a woman with short auburn hair and the rest of the troupe were men; a drummer, a bassist and a guitarist. Dumbledore smiled and announced the band. "Please welcome, Earthbound!"  
  
A lot of the girls started cheering. 'Must be rather popular on the Wizard radio.' Harry thought.  
  
Cho took Harry's hand and led him to the dance floor. He saw Ron and Hermione not far from him. Ginny and Neville got onto the dance floor, as well. The music started. It was a lonely tune. The singer started to sing now.  
  
watching the days slip by so fast….  
  
Knowing your fate has long been cast  
  
working our fingers to the bone…   
  
cause no body loves you when you are gone…  
  
Harry suddenly felt uncomfortable with the song. 'What is wrong with me… I'm dancing with a girl, a pretty one at that, and I suddenly don't want to be here.' He looked down at Cho. She smiled up at him.   
  
Coughing up feeling just for you…   
  
To find something real to hold on to….  
  
But there is a hole inside my heart…  
  
Where all my love comes pouring out…  
  
Harry looked over at Ginny. She was smiling and wincing every time Neville stepped on one of her toes. As if she sensed him looking at her, she turned her brown-eyed gaze to him. They still had a slight grayness to them. For a long time, they stared at eachother before she started turning as red as her flaming hair. She didn't look the least bit happy. She looked angry. She turned away and danced with Neville someplace else.  
  
Harry wondered how he should feel now. He felt the emptiness start to grow inside him and it scared him. He took Cho's hand and led her out into the garden. She giggled as she watched the fairy lights. Harry smiled at her giggle. It was light and joyful. "Where are you taking me, Harry?"  
  
"Someplace for some quiet." He smiled back at her. She blushed and suddenly looked nervously around. He wondered, again, what was wrong. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yes… I am…" They found a nice quiet spot under a tree and they sat down. Cho sat down gracefully and placed her hands in her lap. She looked like she was trying to decide something. She shivered slightly.  
  
Harry took this moment to wrap his arm around her shoulders. "It is rather chilly out here." He said.  
  
She smiled weakly at him. "Yor sweet.. you do know that right?" she said a soft voice.  
  
Harry blushed red. "Er… T-Thank you… er… so are you!"  
  
Cho giggled. "Thank you…" She paused for a moment and then reached a hand to touch Harry's cheek. Harry's grew wide as Cho pressed her lips to his. They lingered there for a minute and then she backed away. She frowned.  
  
Harry stared at her. He didn't know what else to do. His heart pounded in his ears. He felt like he was betraying someone. It was a horrible feeling that was passing through his being. "S-something wrong?" he managed to get out.  
  
"It felt like I was kissing my brother…." She said.  
  
Harry felt like ramming his head against the tree. 'Oh great…Now I'm no more than a younger brother! ARRRRGH!' Harry sulked against the tree, emerald eyes glaring into the night.  
  
Suddenly, someone screamed inside the building. Harry jumped up and ran as fast as he could to the Great Hall. He passed several other people clambering to get away from the building. He finally reached the inside of the Great Hall. Ron was in front of Hermione protectively. He found that Ginny was doing something similar. She looked like a mother tiger ready to fight for her cubs.  
  
Harry looked around and found Nevaeh and George were with Fred. Fred was holding up somebody. Harry's stomach dropped suddenly to his feet. He recognized the person Fred was holding up. It was Astra.   
  
"So we meet again, eh Harry?" said a familiar voice from somewhere.   
  
Harry turned to where it came from and found who had spoke. "Voldemort…" he said quietly.   
  
Suddenly, everyone winced at once and shouted. "DON'T SAY THAT!"  
  
Harry regained his composure. "What did you do to Astra."  
  
"The same thing I'll do to you." Voldemort said quietly. He lifted up his wand and smirked.  
  
Harry smirked himself. He now knew that Astra would be all right. Voldemort had used the Killing Curse on her, so she would soon be ready to help the Weasleys, Nevaeh and Hermione if she had to. Harry got out his wand carefully. Voldemort was smirking at him.  
  
Voldemort suddenly frowned, rolled his eyes, and sighed heavily. "Donovan…. You can come IN now, Donovan." He said as he rubbed his temple. Donovan stumbled in and grinned weakly. "Idiot…" muttered Voldemort. He looked up at Harry and smiled. "It's time that I collect yor head, Harry."  
  
"NO!" came the combined voices of the Ron, Ginny and Hermione.   
  
"Hush you insolent children!" he growled and shot something out at Ginny.  
  
Harry instinctively jumped at Ginny and knocked her away. The spell hit the wall. Harry heard something growling and looked up from under his arm. He saw a tall figure standing in the moonlight. "Sirius?"   
  
"How about you fight against ME, Voldemort!" growled Sirius. "You touch ANY of these children, beware my wrath."  
  
Voldemort looked like he was smiling. "I never said that I wanted all of the children… I only want one…" He paused for a moment. "You sound like a drugged up writer wrote yor lines."  
  
Sirius coughed nervously. Harry stood up and grabbed his wand. "You aren't doing anything with Harry."  
  
"We shall see…" Voldemort lifted his wand to Harry and smiled evilly. "Avada Kedavra…"  
  
The green light shot out of Voldemort's wand and Harry shouted. "Expelliarmus!" A red light shot out of Harry's wand and it suddenly bounced off of some unseen force and hit him squarely in his chest. Harry landed on Ginny, again.   
  
The green light went straight into the invisible field and disappeared. Voldemort and Harry both looked up to see Miss White dressed in violet robes holding her staff towards Harry. She smiled at him. "Sorry about that, dear.. I didn't think you were going to respond."  
  
Harry also saw Dumbledore with his wand out. "Voldemort… leave now…"  
  
"Heed this warning, Voldemort… do not tread on these grounds again or fear our wrath. This is a promise from an Amazon and not to be taken lightly. You will not harm Harry as long as Professor Albus Dumbledore is headmaster." Said Miss White. Her normal jovial air was suddenly incredibly cold and angry.  
  
Voldemort growled and leapt through the open window and disappeared. Donovan followed suit and disappeared into the night. Harry sighed and got to his feet. He looked down at Ginny and smiled apologetically. "Sorry about all that…"  
  
"It's alright, Harry… I know you didn't mean to trample all over me." She said as she cracked her neck. "That hurt, you know."  
  
"Harry! Are you alright?!" came the worried voice of Hermione as she threw her arms around Harry and hugged him tightly. "I got worried!"  
  
Harry looked over to where the twins were. Nevaeh was patting Astra's hand, looking extremely worried. Fred was still holding her up. George ran up and grabbed Fred's robes and dragged him out of the hall, still holding up Astra. Nevaeh trailed behind them. 


	14. Christmas

A/N: I just found a whole bunch of Sialor Moon midi files so they came in real handy when I started writing this. *tee hee* Harry is so thick when it comes to women...  
  
Chapter Fourteen  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
  
  
  
Astra woke up to golden sunlight shining on her face. She opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling. Her head hurt severely as did her back. Her glasses were on the table stand right next to her as were her hair clips. She sat up and looked around through bleary eyes. She rubbed them and everything started coming into focus again.  
  
She glanced over to the sleeping figure on her left. It was Nevaeh. Her brown hair glistened with reddish highlights in the golden light. Astra smiled and looked over to her right. Harry was siting in a chair with his head tilted back, the golden light causing little glittering streaks to appear in his black hair.   
Astra shook her head and picked up her glasses. They had smudges all over them. She immediately grabbed the bottom part of her pajama shirt and began cleaning them. "You're up…"   
  
Astra turned quickly to see a s smiling Harry. She put on her glasses and smiled back. "Did ya catch the license plate of the truck that hit me?"   
  
"No… But Miss White and Professor Dumbledore scared him off." He said as he examined his own glasses.   
  
"How long have I been here?"  
  
Harry looked up at her. "A week…" Astra's face suddenly became worried. "Do you know what happened at the Ball?"  
  
"Not a whole lot… I remember talking to Fred and hearing the glass from a window brake. Then, I was shot in the back and then everything went black." Astra said, as the worry in her eyes became worse. "Harry… I'm lucky that apparently you came in when you did, I am thinking."  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
"Because… As long as I have been out… He must've been extremely powerful. If he had hit me one more time… I would've been dead." She said, as her eyes became slightly teary.  
  
"Are you sure?" Harry said. His worry over her was a little disturbing, but he felt it was genuine. After knowing her only a few months, he knew that she would never purposefully betray him or anyone else he loved. He placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"I get knocked out by that curse… normally I can just get back up, like when we went to Hogsmeade that one time. If I was out for a week,… then I would not have survived another blast." Suddenly, a thought struck her and she giggled insanely. "HEY! It's CHRISTMAS, Right?"  
  
Harry stared at her and smiled. "Yes… why?"  
  
"I love Christmas!" She stood up from her bed and smirked down at the sleeping figure of Nevaeh. She gave a loud snore and Astra had to hold her hands over her ears. "YIKES! Just like her…" she grumbled. "I'm in peril and she falls asleep." Astra kicked Nevaeh's chair and the sleeping girl jumped off the chair and onto the cold floor.   
  
"YEOW!"  
  
"Yer awake.." smirked Astra. She glanced over at Harry as she picked up Nevaeh. "What are ya'll doing in here anyhoo…"  
  
"It was our turn to come visit. I guess we kind of fell asleep." Blushed Harry.   
  
"What was the point in scaring the shit out of me, Astra…?" grumbled Nevaeh.  
  
"Beccause it was fun, why else would I do it…" she smirked at Nevaeh.  
  
Nevaeh stuck her tongue out at her. "I love you too… I'll remember this when you come for my help when yer some down and out artist!" Nevaeh couldn't help smiling.  
  
"Whatever, Nev…" smiled Astra and went over to the change curtain. "If you'll excuse me, but I think Nevaeh brought me my normal clothes for me to wear and I'm going to change into them."  
  
"So what should we do for Christmas, eh?" said Nevaeh clasping her hands together.   
  
Harry shrugged at her. Ron and Hermione were staying at Hogwarts as well as the twins and Ginny. Harry started thinking about the night Cho had kissed him. Before, he had been completely immersed with worry over Voldemort's appearance and Astra getting hurt. Now he actually started thinking about her, he remembered her words when she pulled away. Now he wished he hadn't tried to remember. He suddenly felt terrible. 'I wonder if this is how Ginny feels…' he mused.  
  
"I'm ready!" said the usual cheerful tone of Astra as she walked out from behind the curtain. She did so slowly, pretending to act like an exotic dancer as she just held out her right leg. She started singing swing type music as she did so. Nevaeh laughed hysterically and Harry sniggered.   
  
She finally walked out from behind the curtain, fully, and smiled at Harry and Nevaeh. She wore a deep crimson sweater with a large yellow A on it and a shirt underneath it. She wore jeans as well and tennis shoes. "I wonder who gave me this shirt… it's cute!" She giggled.  
  
Harry laughed fully now. "It's one of the famous 'Weasley' sweaters. I've got a few of them myself."  
  
Astra looked thoroughly clueless, like a kitten who was just given a new mouse toy and wasn't sure what it was. "I wonder why she gave me one… Something like that would something you would only give to a special person, right?"  
  
"I guess… was there a note?" asked Harry.  
  
"I found it with the rest of Astra's presents and opened it for her, since I didn't recognize it." Said Nevaeh, who had finally stopped laughing.  
  
Astra glared at her and walked right up to her. "You opened one of my presents…?"  
  
"Well… yeah… I didn't recognize who it was from until I read the note." Said Nevaeh. She looked terrified now.  
  
"YOU READ THE NOTE AS WELL!?" growled Astra. Suddenly, she started laughing maniacally and snapped Nevaeh on the rear with her pajama shirt. "HAHAHA! You should've seen yer face!"  
  
Nevaeh growled and started chasing Astra out the infirmary and into the hall. "I'm gonna get you!"  
  
Harry shook his head and ran after the two girls. 'Christmas is going to be interesting this year.' He mused.  
  
At the Gryffindor table, Ron sat with Hermione, smirking through a mouth full of turkey every now and then to make her grimace at him and then blush. Harry enjoyed watching it. Sometimes he felt like the third wheel, but times like this, he felt like part of a family and enjoyed watching that family interact. Astra sat down and poured herself some warmed pumpkin juice. "What's up Harry…"  
  
Harry smiled. "Not much by the looks of everything. Do you have any ideas as to what you want to do today?"  
  
Astra shrugged then looked outside. "Why not play outside…. It'll be fun… we don't get much snow in Texas."  
  
Harry studied her. She turned her gaze to meet his and smiled. "Besides… we gotta do something besides staying inside listening to YOU moan about Cho."   
  
Harry grimaced. "I do not moan about her…"  
  
"You do… I hear it when you're asleep. It keeps me awake, you know…" said Ron.   
  
"I talk in my sleep?" Harry stared at his friend incredulously.   
  
"You know what you need, Har? You need a woman BAD-LY" smirked Nevaeh who had just sat down next to Astra.  
  
"You never did say what happened when you walked outside with Cho." Said George, who was sitting next to his twin and Ginny.   
Ginny smiled at Harry. She looked brighter than she had the week before. Harry noted the soft gold that emanated from her fiery hair. It made a sort of halo around her crown, making her look like she was angel of fire. Harry realized he had forgotten to breathe. A refreshing breath later and he was laughing at a joke Fred had told.  
  
Later that day, Astra grabbed her Quidditch robes, school scarf and broom and walked out to the Quidditch field. She took a beater bat from the storage room and picked the lock of Madame Hooch's office to get the box of balls. It had been nearly a year since she had beaten a bludger and she was afraid she would lose her touch.  
  
She set a bludger loose and soared into the sky. She hit it as it came for her and she flew off into a whole new direction. It followed her. She turned quickly and batted it away. She soared straight up into the sky and hit the bludger towards the ground.  
  
It always gave her a rush to play her position. Especially when she had her comrade in arms Nevaeh to be the other half of her brain. Nevaeh was the calming effect the Astra needed to keep herself from being the violent person she knew she could be. Kennedy was the innocence that she so wanted to preserve in herself. Leon was the loyalty that would constantly rub itself onto her.  
  
Suddenly, something rushed by her so quickly that it nearly made her lose her balance on her boom. Astra grabbed the front of her robes and pulled them back on. She shivered slightly.   
  
"What are you doing out here…" came a drawling voice from behind her.  
  
Astra growled slightly in hopes that it wasn't who she thought it was. She turned around on her broom and sighed. "It's you…"  
  
"Aw… did I startle the poor ickle halvesie?" said the pale boy with a smirk. Astra started to wonder where the bludger had gone off.  
  
"Shove off, Malformed… I didn't come out here to be bothered by the likes of you." Astra growled. "Go bother someone else who cares."  
  
"Oh really… who would you prefer that bother then…. Harry?" He said with the same mysterious smirk.  
  
Astra glared at him. "You do that anyway… what's to stop you, huh? Why aren't you bothering HIM anymore."  
  
"Because you're easier to anger." He kept his smirk on his pale face.  
  
Astra made her broom fly closer to Draco. "Why don't you crawl up someone's ass, curl up, turn blue and die!"   
  
His broom flew a little closer to hers. "I would, but I seem to enjoy living, thank you very much. Besides.. who's ass would I crawl up anyway." He flew a little closer. "Yours?"  
  
"No.. you'd enjoy that too much, I'd wager." She growled.  
  
His cheeks became pinker than they were from the wind. "I wouldn't think of myself so highly, if I were you, mudblood."  
  
"Well you ar--" she stopped suddenly as she saw something that scared her. "DUCK!"   
  
"What are you blithering aboOOOUUT!" Draco was dragged by his broom handle towards the ground. Astra held on to it tightly, trying to keep her grip as the icy wind whipped at her.  
  
She pulled herself up and let Draco fly into the ground. "Sorry about that!" She yelled back as she soared straight at the bludger. She held her bat aloft, ready for the bludger. It came at her from behind her. She back handed the ball and sent it towards the ground.   
  
She flew as fast as she could to the ground. She saw Draco stand up and catch the bludger. He hit the ground clutching the bludger. Astra forgot to pull up. The last sight she saw before she blacked out was Draco placing the bludger into the box.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Astra woke up in the hospital wing. She looked around to see the Weasleys, Nevaeh, Hermione and Harry sitting and talking. "OY! LOOK! SHE'S AWAKE!" exclaimed Fred.  
  
Everyone rushed over and patted her on her back. "You took quite the blow when you hit the ground."  
  
"H-How did I get here…" her voice cracked as she spoke.   
  
Harry watched her. It was like watching himself when he woke up from various other things happening to him. "Don't know… Madame Pomfrey won't tell us. All she told us was that you had lost control of your broom and hit the ground."  
  
Astra shook her head. She looked down at herself and saw that she was still wearing the Weasley sweater and her Quidditch robe. "I haven't been out for too long, then.."  
  
"No.. we sort of just got here when we heard about the accident from Draco laughing about it in the Great Hall. He looked a bit beat up, now that I think about it." Said Ron.  
  
"Eh.. probably was out there and got hit on his head by his own broom." Laughed Astra.  
  
"Hey… why don't we go outside and have a snowball fight while it's still day light out." Smiled Nevaeh gleefully.  
  
"That sounds like a grand idea, Nev!" grinned twins at once. 


	15. Captain

A/N: I said that Sirius would explain himself in fifteen and I was right.  
  
Chapter Fifteen  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
  
  
School had started back up and so had Quidditch, which had been announced the following day back. Afterward, Harry had to go to the first Gryffindor Quidditch team meeting. It was Alicia Spinnet who initiated it. "We need a new captain."  
  
"That much is obvious…" said Fred.  
  
"Yeah… Oliver's been gone for two years!" said George.  
  
"I guess we have to vote on who should be the next team captain." Sighed Katie Bell. She tossed one of her blonde locks over her shoulder. "We'll need to have someone who can think on their feet."  
  
"Air."  
  
"Whatever…" Katie growled at the twins.   
  
"We'll need someone who can fly really well." Said Fred.  
  
"We'll need someone who can go on for another couple of years." Said George.  
  
"Someone who will be a good judge of right and wrong." Said Alicia.  
  
"Who do we know that sounds like that?" asked Harry. He looked to one concentrated face to another.  
  
"We'll have to put it to a vote then…" grinned Fred.  
  
"All in favor of HARRY being the next captain, say AYE!" shouted George.  
  
"AYE!"  
  
"AYE!"  
  
"AYE!"  
  
"WHAT?!" Harry exclaimed. He stood up and stared at everyone. He knew that all these people on the team would be gone the very next year. "You can't be serious!"  
  
"You are the new captain, Harry! Now all we need are a couple of new members!" said the Twins slapping him on his back.  
  
"Crikey…" sighed Harry.  
  
After a week had passed, Harry had been able to gather enough recommendations to ask a few people to try out. He finally found the last to members of the team that he needed.   
  
Ron would be playing as keeper. Harry had always known that Ron would love to play Quidditch and he figured that this was as good a time as any to let him play. "So… who is the last member, eh, Harry?" smirked Fred. Ron was too busy being starry eyed at the brooms he had a choice of from a catalogue that Oliver had given Harry in his third year.   
  
"I asked around and someone suggested a girl for the missing chaser." Said Harry.   
  
"Eh? Who?" asked Katie Bell.  
  
"Ginny Weasley…" came a voice from no where. Everyone turned to see Ginny standing inside the door, looking rather nervous. Immediately, both Alicia and Katie gathered around the red haired girl and started giggling.   
  
"Your so cute!" giggled Alicia.  
  
"Welcome to the team, Ginny!" smiled Katie, who was as equally as giggly as Alicia.  
  
The twins and Ron sighed in unison. "Good Lord…"  
  
"Well.. it looks as if we have the rest of the Weasley family on one team!" smirked Fred.  
  
"Mum will be scared! She'll fall faint away at her ickle Ginny getting caught up in SUCH a dangerous game!" sniggered George.  
  
"Shut it, you two… we needed a chaser, so we got one!" growled Ron.  
  
"Thank you, Ron." Said Harry. He smiled at Ginny and she blushed slightly, but smiled back.   
  
"Oy, Harry… what's the plan for going up against Ravenclaw!" said Fred.  
  
"Yeah, Harry… we play against them first you know." Smirked George.  
  
Harry grimaced. Fred and George hadn't been helping him much in preparing for Quidditch plays. "I would have one except no one's helping the CAPTAIN figure out anything!"  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Harry slammed his head on his desk again. It felt good to do it. 'Maybe if I make myself black out, I'll DREAM UP a winning play or two for us!', he thought to himself. "Somebody kill me…" he sighed. "How did Oliver DO this…"  
  
Harry suddenly heard someone tapping on his desk. He looked up, his glasses hanging off of his ears, and squinted at the blurry object before him. He finally managed to get his glasses back on his nose. He smiled at Hedwig as she held a letter aloft on her leg. "Hey, girl… thank you.." He patted her on her head and gave a bit of his toast that he had been snacking on.  
  
Harry opened the letter and a small pack of parchments fell from it.   
"Eh?" Harry stared at the parchments, but decided to read the letter first.  
  
Harry,  
  
I'm sorry for not writing you in a while. I'm sorry about what happened at the dance. I can't tell you where I am or what I am doing right now, but I want you to not worry about me.  
  
I heard that you became Quidditch captain. It doesn't surprise me, really. Your father was captain as well. I know you're probably having a small problem trying to work out plays, but I kept some of the things your father had and I found these among them. Hope you are able to use them.  
  
Sirius.  
  
  
Harry wrote a note back to Sirius and sent Hedwig on her way. Harry then, picked up the parchments that were tied up so tightly. He marveled at some of the plays and wondered how he could use some of them. The Ravenclaw team was smart and cunning.   
  
A day later, Harry decided to go to Hogsmeade with everyone else. He figured he could sort things out better after a change of scenery. Ron was wearing his Weasley sweater, which was maroon. "I hate maroon."  
  
"It's nice and warm! I don't know why you don't like it, Ron." Giggled Astra. She was wearing hers as well.   
  
"Easy for you to say… you have it in a color that you actually like." Sulked Ron. "Why DID she give you one anyway."  
  
"You know mother. She likes giving out presents to our friends." Said Ginny. "Besides… it's basically a thank you for taking us in for a month during the summer holidays."  
  
"That's right. Who else would be dumb enough to take in absolute strangers!" giggled Nevaeh. Astra slapped her on the head.  
  
They walked into the Three Broomsticks and found a couple of tables. Astra and Nevaeh quickly brought the two tables together so they could all sit at the same table. "That's better." Smiled Nevaeh as she took her seat.  
  
Madame Rosmerta came over and glanced at Astra and Nevaeh. "Ah yes… you two are new, eh?" she smiled at the group.   
  
"Butterbeers for all of us." Said Harry. Ron blushed slightly when Rosmerta smiled at him. Harry fought the urge to started laughing when he saw the look on Hermione's face.  
  
When Madame Rosmerta came back with the mugs, each paid their share. "Thank you… call me if you need anything else." She smiled.  
  
Astra eyed her drink suspiciously. "This isn't alcoholic is it?" she said flatly.  
  
"No… that's the butterbeer extra." Said Hermione.   
  
"There's a butterbeer extra?" said Astra and Harry at the same time. They looked at each other and then back at Hermione.  
  
"I read about the different types of butterbeer some time back." She said stiffly. "What… Stop looking at me like that!"  
  
"Y'know… I think I'll go ahead and use those plays.. what harm can come with using them…" said Harry.   
  
"Of course you would… they were yer father's right? That's IS what you said right?" asked Astra as she sipped her butterbeer.  
  
Harry smiled. Something suddenly caught his eye. He glanced over to see a large black dog sitting outside panting at him. It trotted inside and sat down right next to Harry. "Hi, Snuffles." He smiled. The dog barked at him.  
  
Hermione grabbed a small saucer that had been left on the table and poured some of her butterbeer into it. "Here you go." The dog lapped it up happily.  
  
"Such a cute little dog…" said Astra as she kneeled down next to it. She scratched him behind the ears. "That's a good little dog…" The dog suddenly yelped as something long and black poked it's sleek head out from Astra's sleeve and hissed at it. Astra sat looking puzzled at the dog and then looked at her sleeve. "Skywise! I oughtta brain you!" She said as she hit it on the head.   
  
Everyone laughed as the snake seemingly glowered at Astra. "That pet of yours has to be the funniest little thing I have ever met." Said Ginny. Astra smiled sheepishly and then started to stuff Skywise back into her shirt sleeve as quickly as she could.  
  
"Go ahead and sulk! I don't care!" she growled at him. She stood up and sat back down, glaring into space.  
  
Hermione leaned towards Harry and whispered into his ear. "I think 'Snuffles' wants us to follow him."  
  
"I think you're right." Harry whispered back and he tapped Ron on the shoulder to let him know as well. Harry then stood up and bowed to Astra, Nevaeh and Ginny. "Sorry, girls, but we need to go do something. We'll see you later."  
  
Astra and Nevaeh glanced at one another and then to Ginny who had the same clueless expression. "Damned if I know." Astra said as she shrugged.  
  
Harry followed 'Snuffles' to the now familiar Shrieking Shack. 'Snuffles' trotted through the door and Harry followed with Hermione and Ron coming up behind him. When all three of the students walked into the shack, Ron closed the door.  
  
Sirius had changed back into a human now. Harry ran over and hugged Sirius happily. "Harry! Good grief! You're huge!" laughed Sirius.  
  
Harry let go and Hermione and Ron came forward. Sirius hugged Hermione and patted Ron on the shoulder. Hermione gasped suddenly. "Oh my God, Sirius.. you're hurt!" She pointed to Sirius' right arm. He indeed had a wound that didn't look too painful.   
  
"Nah… I'm fine… I had a brief tussle with Wormtail yesterday. Sorry about the short notice, Harry. I needed to tell you something so you would be on your guard."  
  
"What is I--"  
  
"HARRY? Are you in there?" came a familiar voice.   
  
"Harry? Oh no… we can't go in there! That's the Shrieking Shack!" came Ginny's voice.  
  
"Oh stop… you have six brothers and yer tellin' me that you are afraid of some stories?"  
  
There was silence. Harry glanced over at Sirius. Sirius looked ready for battle, his blue eyes trained on the door. "Oh alright…" came Ginny's voice, sighing in defeat.  
  
Sirius looked ready to pounce on the first person to open the door. Harry laid a hand on Sirius' shoulder to stop him. "I know them… don't worry." He whispered frantically.  
  
The door opened and sunlight filled the room once again. Astra walked in confidently and tripped on Ron. She flew forward and landed on Sirius. "ACK! THAT hurt…" she said.  
  
"Astra… what are you doing here!" sighed Harry. He turned around to see Ginny and Nevaeh walking inside now. "And you two… why are you guys here?"  
  
"I would think it was obvious, Harry… we were following you." Said Nevaeh with a smirk.  
  
"Why though…"   
  
"Ask Astra… she was the one who talked us into following ya'll." Said Nevaeh.  
  
Harry glanced over to Astra. She was tangled up in both her cloak and Sirius' robes. "I don't think that's possible right now…" said Ron.  
  
"No… those are mine that you're tugging at, moron." Growled Astra. "Who was the idiot that tripped me!"  
  
"Me.. sorry about that… I didn't realize that my foot was still in the way." Said Ron sheepishly.  
  
Finally, Astra stood up and held out her hand to help up Sirius. "Sorry about calling you a moron, sir--" Harry saw pink tinge her cheeks suddenly. "It's you! Yer the one who gave me Harry's owl!"  
  
Sirius smiled and backed away from her. "I know… I can explain…REALLY!"   
  
Harry remembered the questions he had asked Astra. "Why did you give Hedwig to her…"  
  
Sirius sighed and shook his head. "I knew this would come up. Dumbledore should've thought of it. I bet you he did and he didn't tell me." Sirius sulked in the half darkness. "I knew of your father when he attended Hogwarts. He was a good guy, one of those rule abiding students like Hermione." Hermione blushed at this.  
  
"Hedwig was exhausted when she found me. I couldn't take care of her at the time. Dumbledore somehow knew of this and, in a letter that I received not a day later, told me to give Hedwig to a girl by the name of Astra Knight." Sirius shrugged. "I hadn't the faintest clue, really. He also said in the letter that Astra would have one very distinctive characteristic. She had elf ears. So when I saw you and saw your ears I knew what to do."  
  
"Miss White had told me to talk to Hedwig's owner. I sent a letter to Harry and then later she suggested that I ask Harry and his friends over to my house." Said Astra.  
  
Everyone stood silently for a few minutes, as if to grasp what had been said. "The reason I wanted to talk to you… Hermione and Ron…" Sirius glanced at Harry then Hermione and to Ron. "Be careful at the Quidditch match. I overheard Wormtail boasting about Voldemort attending it."  
  
Harry's jaw dropped. "WHAT?! He can't! He'll shut down our Quidditch games! We won't even be allowed outside!"  
  
Sirius scratched his chin. "Hmmm… that does pose a weird thought."  
  
"You said it yourself, Nev… you said it to Ginny! I heard you!"  
  
"Did not!" Harry glanced over at a blushing Nevaeh.  
  
"Did to! You said that this guy was an absolute hottie!"  
  
Silence had again taken hold of the shack. Astra and Nevaeh turned their heads slowly to see everyone staring at them incredulously. They turned to eachother and then back. "I think we will leave now…."   
  
Nevaeh suddenly burst through the door and disappeared with Astra coming up behind her shouting. "WAIT UP, NEV!"  
  
Sirius smirked and tugged at his robes. "I see I haven't lost my touch!" Sirius suddenly noticed Ginny standing next to her brother. "Eh? Another Weasley?"  
  
Ginny blushed and pouted. "My name is Ginny!"  
  
"And a fiery one at that." Sirius said with an amused expression. "What is it with Potter men and fiery tempered redheads…" he mused.  
  
Harry blushed. "She isn't my girlfriend."  
  
"Oh.. sorry about that then…" He winked at Ginny and both Ginny and Harry blushed the same shade of red.  
  
Sirius' expression became serious. "I want you all to be careful… I'll try to be at the match, but I'm not making any promises." He hugged Harry and turned into a dog. Then, he trotted out of the shack.  
  
"I can't believe that was Sirius Black! Harry! Why were you talking to a criminal!" said Ginny worriedly.  
  
"Ron… I think we ought to explain to her…" said Harry. "She'll need to know or we get to hit her with a memory charm."  
  
Ginny blanched and Ron was on Harry before he could blink. "You'll do no such thing!" Harry, Hermione and Ginny all laughed together at the red haired boy. 


	16. Quidditch Hazards

A/N: Here's the sixteenth chapter! Oh God… I can't believe I actually made this site….   
  
http://hometown.aol.com/astraknight6/myhomepage/gryffindor.html  
  
this thing is so horrible… these are the pseudo beginnings of Astra and her posse. Have fun laughing!  
  
SPECIAL NOTICE!  
  
Help me! I can't think of what should come next! I don't want to do the Valentines day chapter that I drew because it's so crappy! ACK! Ideas? Anyone? ANYONE!??  
  
  
  
Chapter Sixteen  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
  
"Hey Harry! Good luck at the Game!"   
  
Harry had grown tired of waiting for the time of the Quidditch match against Ravenclaw to get there. It was driving him crazy. He had never been so apprehensive about a Quidditch match before. It was probably because Cho was the Ravenclaw seeker.  
  
Harry watched the people pass by the Gryffindor table. Mostly Slytherins trying to find a way to "Accidentally" run into him. They probably wanted to disable him somehow so they wouldn't have to play against Gryffindor with a fully functional seeker.  
  
He suddenly caught a scent that seemingly wafted past him. "Lilies… Tiger lilies…" he muttered to himself. He looked around and found the one with the scent. Ginny looked about as down as she ever did before the dance. He got up from his seat and walked over to her.   
  
He lightly tapped her on the shoulder and smiled. She looked up at him with her brown eyes. They were still a dull brown. "May I sit down?" he asked with a smile.  
  
She simply nodded her head and moved over. Harry sat down so he faced her. "How are you? You've been looking very depressed lately."  
  
She gazed into his emerald eyes. "Why don't you talk to Cho… I'm not much of a conversationalist right now…" she sighed. Hurt was filling in the gray hue in her dull brown eyes.  
  
Harry's heart fell right through the floor. He couldn't figure why. He just couldn't stand watching her look this depressed. Especially since he knew that she was normally a bright ray of sunshine. "Well… I don't think Cho and me will be talking much now…" he sighed. Depression was taking a cold grip on him as well.  
  
Ginny's dull brown eyes suddenly became bright. Bright with worry. "Why…?"  
  
Harry looked uncomfortable suddenly. "Do you promise not to tell anyone?"  
  
Ginny nodded. Harry sighed and glanced around to see if anyone was listening. "That night at the dance… when I led her to the garden? She kissed me…" Harry paused as he saw the dullness return into her eyes. "And… then she said it was like she was kissing her brother…."  
  
Ginny's brown eyes became bright again. She smiled at him. Suddenly, she was overtaken with giggles. Harry blushed and glanced around to see some people in the vicinity staring. They soon turned back to their normal conversations. Harry grimaced down at Ginny, who was still laughing hysterically. "It wasn't THAT funny…"  
  
She finally stopped laughing. "I'm…*gasp* I'm sorry… Your expression…. *gasp* was just so funny… you looked like you were going to be beaten to a pulp!"  
  
Harry smiled, as did Ginny. "I'm glad that you could smile… at my expense…" Ginny twittered lightly. "I'm really glad to see you looking better, Ginny…."  
  
"Well… I guess you are my hero, yet again… Harry Potter… the boy who got renamed the little brother who lived." Smirked Ginny.   
  
"Very funny, Ginny… ha ha…" Harry smirked as well. "One of these days, I'm going to get my revenge on you for that statement."  
  
Ginny leaned in closely to Harry's face, her bright brown eyes staring straight into his own. Harry's heart beat jumped to a pace he couldn't count. "Only if you can catch me…" Then, she took off down the table and out the doors. Harry could only watch, stunned at her closeness. Then, he smiled.   
  
Out in the corridor, Astra nearly got run over by a rushing redhead. Astra shook her head and grinned. The chase was on, she mused to herself. She readjusted her glasses and glanced down the corridor. No one was around. "That's funny… I could've sworn I heard somebody call my name…" she muttered.   
  
"Hearing voices, halvsie? Do I get to report you to Professor Snape because you have finally snapped?" came a familiar drawling voice.  
  
Astra breathed deeply and tried to calm herself. "What do you want, Malformed…" She turned around and glared at him.  
  
"What do I want… there's a dubious question if I ever heard one." Said Draco flatly.  
  
"Whatever, man…" she growled. "Listen here, Ferret-boy… I don't need yer crap… Leave me alone."  
  
"I guess I will go see Harry then, won't I.." He smiled when he saw Astra's face go pink.   
  
"You go near him and I'll kick you where it really hurts, Draco…" she growled at him.  
  
Draco went pink as well. "Listen here, chipmunk… you could do with some lessons yourself!"  
  
"Chipmunk! As if! My two front teeth aren't THAT big!"  
  
"You could chew through trees with those."  
  
"I can chew though you!"  
  
"Not if I were some diet food, fatty."  
  
"Yer too short for a tree anyway!"  
  
Draco suddenly came up close to her, making her take a step back, but she soon realized that there was no more room to take. He had her almost pinned against a wall. She straightened and glared up at him. 'Damn it! He's grown some! I've got to look for another insult!', she growled at herself.  
  
"I'm short am I…" he said quietly. "I could point out that I am now a full inch and a half taller than you."  
  
"So? You keep telling me I'm fat! I'd like YOU to point out what's fat on me!" she growled at him, baring her teeth at him. "I am a beater, after all!"  
  
His gray eyes suddenly widened. He stared down at her incredulously. "Me? You want ME to POINT.." just then, he poked her side, "out what's FAT on YOU?" Her side hurt from him poking her. He sides weren't fat and she knew he knew it.  
  
Astra kneed him in the groin. "Don't flatter yerself, Malfoy!" She blew a strand of her somewhat unruly hair out of her face. Then, she stalked off down the corridor, smiling to herself as she listened to Draco moan in pain.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
The Gryffindor team walked onto the Quidditch field as Lee Jordan listed them off. "Chasers Alicia Spinnet, Katie bell and a warm welcome to our new chaser Ginny Weasley! Beaters Fred and George Weasley! Keeper is Ron Weasley! And the newest Captain… Seeker Harry Potter!" The crowd on the Gryffindor side roared with cheers. Harry waved sheepishly at them. The Weasleys all laughed and elbowed one another.  
  
The Ravenclaw team walked out now. Harry gulped when he saw Cho. She only smiled up at him. Madame Hooch walked out now with the quaffle in her hands. Someone let the other balls out. "Now.. I want a good clean game…" She blew her whistle and Harry hit the ground hard with his feet, sending him high up into the sky.  
  
Below him, he watched the game. He listened to Lee Jordan give the play by play. "Chaser Katie Bell is in possession! It's passed to Ginny!" Harry watched as the small redhead flew between the two Ravenclaw beaters, trailing a bludger behind her. "A nice save by new Ravenclaw keeper Detrik Stiles! Ravenclaw in possession!"  
  
Harry glanced to his left to see Cho flying solemnly, watching the game below. Harry raised an eyebrow. 'What's wrong with her? She was so cheerful when she was on the ground.', he wondered.   
  
"A great save by Gryffindor keeper Ron Weasley!"   
  
Harry flew over towards Cho, directing his broom carefully. Cho turned her gaze towards him. "Get the hell away from me, you assassin!"  
  
"Chaser Selena Broadsword in possession! Alicia Spinnet takes the ball!"  
  
"Cho? Are you alright?" asked Harry as calmly as he could.  
  
"I told you to buggar off, Harry!" tears were starting to streak her cheeks. Harry's green eyes widened at her.   
  
"Gryffindor is now at a hundred, Ravenclaw at fifty!"  
  
"Cho? Are you alright?" he asked again. He flew a little closer to her. She turned to him again and glared dangerously at him.  
  
"You killed him! You killed Cedric! YOU KILLED HIM!" she shouted angrily at him.  
  
Harry suddenly caught a glimpse of gold out of the corner of his eyes. It flew down near the ground, narrowly missing Katie as she flew past. With one last look at Cho, he flew down as quickly as he could. He flew so fast that everyone that flew by him was nothing but a red or blue blur. He could see the snitch was just beyond his reach. He made his broom speed up. The snitch still just beyond his hand, when--  
  
Cho slammed into Harry just as he was about to grab the snitch. Harry fell as he swore he felt something go up his sleeve. He fell to the ground with a loud thump. "RAVENCLAW SEEKER CHO CHANG JUST BODYSLAMMED HARRY!" Harry picked up his head gently and saw his glasses fall off his nose, lying broken in two on the grass.  
  
Harry sat up carefully and found his broom lying next to him, unbroken. He sighed in relief. "At least that unbreakable charm actually works." He said to himself. He checked himself over, he only had some bruising and some scratches. He didn't seem to be hurt to badly. He stood up and picked up his broom.  
  
"Gryffindor has a hundred fifty points now! Ravenclaw at a hundred!"  
  
Harry suddenly felt something fluttering in his robe. He reached up his right sleeve and grabbed something small with wings. 'Crikey!', he thought to himself as he realized what he had. He pulled it out and stared absently at the small fluttering snitch in his hand.  
  
"Great Scott! He pulled off a Plumpton Pass! HAHA! One hundred and fifty points awarded to Harry!"  
  
Madame Hooch blew her whistle. "Gryffindor wins!"  
  
Harry smiled widely as his team cheered. The whole of Gryffindor cheered. Suddenly, pain shot through his forehead and he winced. He glanced up and saw a form coming closer to him. "You should've died! Not him! YOU SHOULD'VE DIED!" He recognized the form now as Cho.  
  
Harry now realized that she had her wand pointed at him. "Cho! This isn't you! Cho! Somebody has taken control of you! Listen to me!"   
  
"NO! YOU SHOULD DIE! YOU NEED TO DIE!" She held her wand, ready to cast a spell. "Avada Kedav--"   
  
Harry had launched himself at her. They rolled on the ground, him trying to knock her wand out of her hand and her trying to finish the curse. Harry finally had her pinned underneath himself, sitting on her legs and holding her hands to the ground. "LET GO OF ME!"  
  
"Cho! Cho! It's me! It's Harry! Listen to me! Fight the curse! Fight it!" growled Harry. Cho still fought with him. One of her hands became free and she punched him on the jaw.  
  
Astra watched spellbound as Harry fought with Cho on the ground. Both teams didn't know what to do. Something finally gave and Cho got free from Harry and ran to get her wand, which was lying not to far from where they had been. "Damn it! Why don't his team mates help him!"  
  
"They're probably trying to figure out what is wrong with Cho." Said Nevaeh, who was sitting right next to her. "See? They're arguing with the Ravenclaw team."  
  
Astra could hear the argument from the breeze that wafted past them. Astra watched as Ron and Ginny finally broke away from the team, the twins helping Katie and Alicia deal with the Ravenclaw team. Ron pounced on Cho as Ginny ran to Harry's side.  
  
"Are you alright, Harry?" asked Ginny.   
  
Harry tore himself from her. "Sorry Gin, but Voldemort has taken control of her!" He ran at Cho and helped Ron try to subdue her.  
  
Astra watched as Ginny picked up Harry's glasses and motioned for Hermione to come out. Hermione said some spell and Harry's glasses here repaired. Ginny ran over to Harry and handed him his glasses.  
  
"Here you go, Harry!"   
  
Harry put on his glasses and looked up to the tops of the bleachers. He found who he was looking for. Voldemort smiled down at him and put his wand into his cloak, jumping off of the top of the structure he was on.   
  
"She fainted!" exclaimed Ron. Harry turned to Cho was now having to be held up by a stunned Ron.  
  
"Get her to the hospital wing!" Harry yelled and then ran off across the field. Harry found Miss White standing in his way as soon as he was about to clear the field past the bleachers. "Where is he!"  
  
"Do not worry, Harry… Everything will be alright." She smiled at him. Harry could have sworn he saw something like a brilliant light emanate from her for a split second. "Go back to your team. They need you." She motioned with her long wooden staff.  
  
Harry nodded and ran back. He didn't know what to think now. He swore he heard her yell something at him. "May the Phoenix be with you!"  
  
Harry ran over to Ron and Ginny. They were arguing over what had happened. "I swear! I swear I saw him up there!" Ginny turned to point towards the bleachers and saw Harry. She retracted her hand and blushed when she saw Harry.   
  
"Harry! Where did he go!" said Ron, who was holding his sister around the shoulders.  
  
"Where's Cho!" said Harry. He looked around wildly for her. "Where did she go?"  
  
"She went to the infirmary." Hermione came up behind Ron, giving him a reassuring look.  
  
Harry was about to say something when he heard Fudge's voice ring out. "THAT'S IT, ALBUS! NO MORE QUIDDITCH! IF HE'S STILL OUT THERE, THEN NO ONE IS ALLOWED TO LEAVE THIS SCHOOL UNTIL HE IS CAPTURED!"  
  
Harry saw Percy trying to calm Fudge down. It was a losing battle. Harry groaned audibly when he watched Percy trailing behind Fudge. "Sir! You didn't need to be so hasty about closing down Quidditch! Sir!"  
  
"It looks like we don't get to see the sun until school lets out." Hermione said watching the retreating Percy. 


	17. Inquiry

A/N: Thank you all for reviewing thus far. Spiffy-chan! Thanks for putting this thing on your favorites list! *smoochers!* Elica! Everyone else! (cause I have a majorly bad memory! ^.^;)  
  
SNOW_BLIZ! Don't you ever suggest H/A, EVER! Good God… have I completely screwed up, again? ACK!  
  
Chapter Seventeen  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
  
  
"Damnable CAT!"   
  
Harry turned just in time to watch Astra get shredded by Skywise and Skywise run away and hide. "Get back here, Furball!"  
  
Astra ran up to Harry holding her right hand against a long scratch on her left arm. Harry shook his head and laughed. "Astra… what are you trying to get him to do now?"  
  
"I was tryin' ta get him to come with me so I can give him a bath!" she growled. "Damned cat! He ruined a perfectly good shirt!"  
  
Harry realized what she was talking about. He stared at her shirt. It used to be a white short sleeved shirt, but it had been reduced to an almost shredded piece of cloth hanging off of her. Harry blushed slightly and looked away. "I'm sorry.."  
  
"So am I…" Astra growled as she glared around for Skywise. "Damned cat is going to get one hell of a headache from me." She then stalked off up the stairs, muttering curse words under her breath.  
  
Harry's cheeks went back to normal and he sighed. "Why does she have to completely forget decency when she's angry. At least Ginny has the sense not to parade around in some shredded number while she's trying to find her brothers." Then he blushed an even deeper shade of red when he pictured it.  
  
"What was that about me?"  
  
Harry's cheeks went red again. He turned around to see Ginny staring at him. "Nothing, Ginny… er… thinking aloud…"  
  
Ginny blushed to the roots of her hair and smiled. "Um… you were thinking?"  
  
Harry started to panic. 'ACK!' he screamed in his brain. "Um… er… I m-meant.. uh…"  
  
"Harry! Where have you been! There's a prefects meeting being held in five minutes!" screamed Hermione.  
  
Harry sighed in his relief. Then, what Hermione had said struck him. 'Double ACK!', he screamed in his head again. Harry dashed upstairs and back down again all dressed for the meeting. He grabbed Hermione's hand dragged as fast as he could to the meeting.   
  
When they reached it, Harry was gasping for air. Hermione tutted behind him. "You should've been idling about…. Then you wouldn't be this tired for the meeting! I swear, Harry!"  
  
They got inside and smiled to everyone who was seated inside the expansive room. The head boy stood up and motioned for Hermione and Harry to take their seats. They did and opened the note books in front of them, their quills poised for taking down notes.  
  
"As you all know… Mr. Filch has added a few more items to the Forbidden Objects list. I am now handing out copies of the list so you can all post them up in your Common bulletin boards." He handed them all a piece of parchment two feet long.  
  
"Next item on the list… The Order is in need of any information as to what happened on Saturday's game. Some people swear they saw You-know-who up in the bleachers. I honestly didn't see a thing." He said.  
  
Hermione raised her hand. She blushed slightly when everyone stared at her. "Yes Miss Granger."  
  
"What's 'The Order'?"  
  
The head boy and Girl both stared at her incredulously. "Have you not been paying attention in these meetings, Hermione!" said a Slytherin prefect with a smirk.  
  
Harry was getting angry. "We never heard anything about this 'Order'!"  
  
"Then, you both weren't paying attention. The Order of the Phoenix is a secret to be kept under wraps. They are what is forming right now to go up against You-know-who and his Deatheaters…" said the head boy.  
  
"Well… if you want any information on the game, you'll have to ask Harry… he was mostly involved with it." Said a Ravenclaw prefect girl.  
  
"Were you? I thought you were wrestling with the Ravenclaw seeker." Said another Slytherin prefect. He sneered at Harry.  
  
"She was trying to kill me…" he glared at the boy.  
  
"None the less…. You are a witness and you ought to give us any information you have." Said the Head girl.  
  
Harry felt like he was being interrogated by the Spanish inquisition. "I saw Voldemort up in the bleachers like the rest of the student body… It was only after Ron got Cho off of me that I was able to run across the field to try and follow him. I didn't see anyone there when I got there…"  
  
"Really…" said the Head Girl.  
  
"This might come in handy, Mr. Potter…. Thank you.." said the Head Boy, returning to the list of things to be announced. "Firestrom is leaving tomorrow…. It's not safe for anyone to be visiting here right now."  
  
"When will this be announced?"  
  
"Tomorrow…"  
  
"Oh.."  
  
At breakfast, Harry sat glumly, picking at his food. Ginny sat next to him and nudged him. "Are you awake?" she giggled. Harry just grunted.   
  
Astra sat across from him, picked up a blueberry muffin and bit into it. "What's up, Harry!" she said through a mouthful of muffin.  
  
Harry didn't look up. He noticed Ginny had stiffened next to him, however. He looked up at him and then followed her line of sight. His jaw just about dropped onto the floor. Astra was wearing a Hogwarts uniform and robes. "Astra?"  
  
Nevaeh sat down next to Astra and yawned. "Good morning, G…"  
  
Harry stared at them both. They both wore Hogwarts uniforms. "Astra… Nev… what are you two wearing?!"  
  
Nevaeh smiled gracefully and decided to give the over view. "We heard that Fudge was going to make us leave. We wanted to stay, so we asked McGonnagal if we could sign on as normal students."  
  
"She apparently said yes…" smirked Fred.  
  
"Quite…" said George.  
  
"And what's more… my gran thought it was brilliant…. So she's sending my sister here as well." Said Astra through muffin.  
  
Harry smiled. She had said that she picked up accents and phrasing like a chameleon, but he hadn't started believing it until a few months ago. She still had her slight Texas accent, but she was using phrases that were distinctly British, and she wasn't sounding the least bit goofy as she did so.   
  
"We never saw your sister when we were in America." Said Ron.  
  
"That's because I told her to go with grandma to Georgia and leave me some peace." Said Astra. "She's really a nice person…. Once you get past the chilliness of her personality."  
  
"She can be an absolute pain in the ass, though…" said Nevaeh, biting into a her own poppy seed muffin.  
  
"Good God… How can you stand those damned things…" said a disgusted Astra, eyeing Nevaeh's poppy seed muffin.  
  
"It's good! I don't know what your problem with them is!"   
  
"They're disgusting!"  
  
"Well, there's no accounting for taste." Smirked Nevaeh.  
  
Dumbledore clicked his fork against his goblet. Everyone grew silent now. He stood up and began his announcements. "The Firestrom students will be leaving today." Everyone sighed glumly. "They will be going back to America after breakfast, so I advise that you all say your goodbyes now…" He smiled as a few of the student at various tables hugged eachother.   
  
"On a gladder note… We have three new students joining our family. Gryffindors Astra Knight…." Almost everyone at the Gryffindor table cheered and even a few Ravenclaws joined in as well. "Gryffindor Nevaeh Ives…" The gryffindors continued to cheer. "And Gryffindor Avalon Knight…."  
  
Everyone went silent and looked around. "Avalon? Who the blazes would name their child Avalon?!" whispered a Slytherin.  
  
"My gran, who so happens to have a rather perverse sense of humor." Said Astra.  
  
McGonnagal walked out with a tall girl behind her. Harry had to crane his neck to see her. Detrik Stilles, at the Ravenclaw table, started to cheer. "YAY Vee!"  
  
Harry finally saw the girl. He was surprised. He was expecting a girl that looked like Astra, but what he saw was a rail thin girl with tanned skin and long black hair that went down to her waist. McGonnagal smiled and nodded her to find a seat at the Gryffindor table.  
  
Avalon walked down the row of people and sat next to Astra. Harry finally got a good look at her. She was shorter than Astra, but she was taller than Nevaeh by a half inch. She had the same ears as Astra and large, cat like, brown eyes. "Hello… My name is Harry… how are--"  
  
"My name is Vee… I already know who you are and am pleased to meet you." She said shortly. She spooned scrambled eggs onto her plate and started to wolf down her food.   
  
Astra hit Avalon on the head with her fist. "Don't be rude, leprechaun!"  
  
Avalon hissed at Astra. "Be nice, or I'll tell mom on you!"  
  
Astra paled slightly, but she glared at Avalon all the same. "It's Harry Potter! Give him a LITTLE more WARMTH than you normally show my friends!"  
  
"Why should I!" growled Avalon.   
  
Astra smirked as a thought struck her. "Or I'll get Kennedy to register his ass over here…"  
  
Avalon suddenly shut her mouth, blushed and turned to her food, glaring every now and then at Astra. Astra returned the favor by glaring at Avalon. Harry shook his head for a second and turned to Hermione and Ron. "Is anyone else as confused as I am?"  
  
Hermione and Ron both nodded simultaneously, dumbstruck. Harry glanced toward where Ginny was sitting next to him. He found her on the other side of the table, chatting up a storm with Avalon. "I know what you mean… older siblings can be hell!" she giggled.  
  
"I'll say…!" Avalon turned her raven-haired head to glance at Harry. She smiled knowingly and turned back to Ginny. Ginny smiled at him and he could feel the heat rising in his cheeks again.  
  
Later, in History of Magic, Harry was fast asleep on his desk. He didn't hear Professor Binns as he droned on about something or other. He felt himself slide into a dream like state. He felt himself fall onto cold wet snow. He looked around and all he saw was darkness and snow.   
  
He saw he had landed next to a window now. He walked up closer to the window. He could see Wormtail arguing with Donovan. He could even hear the conversation. "A failure! A FAILURE!" shouted Donovan at Wormtail.  
  
"You heard me…"  
  
"Why you miserable little rat!" growled Donovan.   
  
"Stop your inane bickering, the both of you!" growled a familiar voice. Donovan was about to say something when Voldemort came into view and held up his wand. Donovan backed away submissively. "I know how you feel, Donovan… I too have been up handed by a mere child!"   
  
"I didn't even know you had come back…" Donovan muttered.  
  
"You shall pay penance soon, Donovan, for your misguided thoughts. You will pay for talking out of turn, now though!" growled Voldemort. He raised his wand and Donovan's knees buckled underneath him. He writhed on the floor in pain.  
  
When Voldemort finally put down his wand, Donovan sat up shakily. Voldemort went over to a leather chair and sat down in it, Nagini curling herself around his arm. "Wormtail… have you received…"  
  
"Aye, sir… Our informant says Dumbledore is facing an inquiry."   
  
Voldemort smiled maliciously. "Good… without him there… Harry will be mine…"  
  
Harry jerked awake griping his wand and clutching his searing forehead. He suddenly realized that he was in History of magic and everyone in class was staring at him. Even Professor Binns.  
  
Harry smiled nervously and put down his wand slowly. "Sorry, Professor…" Professor Binns went back to his passage in the book he was reading. Harry wiped his hand across his sweaty forehead. He could feel his scar still burning underneath it.  
  
Ron leaned over to talk to him. "You okay, mate?"  
  
"Yeah… yeah, I'm fine… I just need some rest is all…" said Harry dismissively. Ron didn't seem convinced, but didn't press the subject. 'Dumbledore is facing an inquiriy….' 


	18. An Army of Rodents

A/N: Sorry Snow_bliz…. I didn't mean to go 0-60 on ya…   
  
Here's eighteen!  
  
I'm not going too fast for ya'll, am I? Take it back… it's about to start going light speed after this… specifically the grande finale  
  
  
Chapter Eighteen  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
  
  
Valentine's day passed quickly, leaving a few people happy for the distraction from having to study for their OWLs. OWLs were Ordinary Wizarding Levels and they were tests to see how well the students were learning their magic.  
  
Harry felt like his brain was on overload with the prefect meetings and his schoolwork. Professor Snape did a thorough job of giving them, each, plenty of homework. Professor McGonnagal did the same.   
  
"I don't believe this…." Growled Ron. "I can't take all this studying."  
  
"You need to study for the OWLs!" said Hermione from across from him. She looked annoyed with him. "Don't you dare put down that book, Ron…"  
  
"Oh leave me alone, slave driver!" he growled at her. "They're MY grades!"  
  
Harry glanced between the two of them. He shook his head and decided to walk upstairs to go to bed. "It's late, you two… maybe we'll have a better time if we all get some rest."  
  
"Fine by me."  
  
"Same here…"  
  
Hermione stalked up the stairs before either Ron or Harry could reach them. When Harry finally turned out his lamp, he glanced over at Ron. "Good night, Ron…" Ron grunted and turned over. Harry pulled the covers over his head and fell asleep.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
"Vee… could you pass me the butter?" asked Astra.  
  
"Get it yerself…"   
  
"I would if it weren't on yer side of the table about two feet from me and six inches from you. Now pass me the butter or I get to stab you with this fork." Astra said as she glowered at Avalon. Avalon sighed in defeat and passed the butter to Astra.  
  
Harry shook his head and continued to eat his meal. Breakfast was starting to sound like a battlefield with Avalon there. He couldn't figure why she was so cold to everyone, even her own sister.  
  
Ron came in and sat down next to Hermione, glaring at a few of the boys in the vicinity. Harry watched as Ron put a hand on Hermione's waist and growled at one of the twins. "What's gotten into you, mate?" said George.  
  
"None of your business." He said shortly. He started wolfing down his food, like a starving animal watching out for predators that were going to take his food.  
  
When breakfast was over, Harry walked up to the Divination room. Professor Trelawny gazed over him solemnly. "Take your seats everyone. Today, we will be delving into Astragalomancy. You each get three dice and you throw it and interpret from the combinations of numbers."   
  
Harry sat down with Ron and smiled at him. Ron just grunted at him and turned away. Harry raised an eyebrow at him. "You alright, mate?"  
  
"I'm fine! Can't you see that I'm QUITE fine!" Ron growled at Harry.  
  
Astra sat with Avalon and watched Ron chew out Harry. "What has gotten into that boy…."  
  
Astra grabbed Harry by the shirt collar and dragged him over to her table. "What's up with him… he isn't normally that moody!"  
  
"I know…" Harry glanced over to his best friend. "He was glaring at every guy at our table that was within his vicinity."  
  
Astra shook her head. "Didn't you see him pull Hermione closer to him before he started chewing off heads? He's acting like a jealous boyfriend."  
  
"What does he have to be jealous of?" Harry asked. Hermione was a pretty girl, but as far as he knew, no one else asking her out on dates before she and Ron decided on going to the dance together.  
  
"Yer asking me? Like I know what goes through that boy's brain!" Astra whispered frantically. Astra rolled her dice and got some random numbers. She wished her sister were in there with her.  
  
"So what is the problem with Vee? She acts so cold to everyone except Ginny." Asked Harry.  
  
"She once told me that when she gets close to someone, that she can see their past and future in flashes at odd points in time." Astra said throwing her dice again.  
  
"Like you?"  
  
"No… I get random images that don't mean a thing until that part of the future comes. Avalon…. Sees flashes of that person's life and she knows when and where things will happen. Pay attention when she talks to you, Harry… She has a tendency to give hints in whatever conversation yer having with her." Astra said writing down her numbers.  
  
"Hints?" Harry was getting confused. "Why not flat out tell people what is going to happen to them if it's bad. Maybe they will be able to avoid it."  
  
"Not as easy as that. The ministry keeps a good eye on her. Makes sure that she doesn't try to tamper with anyone's life." Astra looked up at Harry from her paper. "Yer figuring out things quicker than I originally thought you would. You know now why Avalon is so cold to just about everyone she meets."  
  
"Because… she doesn't want to see their deaths or stuff like that?" said Harry.  
  
"Bingo… Like I said… she's nice once she warms up to people. As I said… pay attention to her when she talks to you… she gives hints in everyday conversation." Astra said as threw her dice again.  
  
"What kind of hints… what has she hinted to you?" asked Harry, watching her carefully.  
  
"Like…. Okay.. Somewhere during fourth year, I had asked her if she could see whom I was going to marry and she only said gray tones and silver. Like I said… they don't become relevant until it comes." She thought for a moment. "She sometimes does it through actions. She always watched Leon like he was going to croak any second when I was with him."  
  
"Odd… she sounds like Professor Trelawny now…" sniggered Harry. It earned him a disapproving side-glance from Astra.  
  
"Don't think like that… Trelawny is a fake, Vee isn't. If you even suggest that she is, she'll bite yer head off." She scowled.  
  
  
In the hallways, all of the fifth year Gryffindor students walked to the transfiguration classroom. Harry watched as Ron put his arm around Hermione's waist and drew her closer to his side possessively. "What is wrong with you, Ron." Said Hermione in an exasperated tone.   
  
"I shall save you from these thugs, fair and INNOCENT maiden!" he declared as some third year boy brushed past Hermione. He pushed the boy away from Hermione.  
  
"You've GOT to be joking, Ron!" Hermione shouted as Ron lifted another boy and tossed him away. She slapped him across the face when he tried to pick her up.   
  
Ron stared at her incredulously. "Hermione! I'm trying to save you from all of these evil men trying to take you away from me! They all want you for themselves! I know it!"  
  
Hermione stared at him incredulously. Harry watched as she tried to form words, but only made a couple of odd noises escape. Harry walked up to Ron and put his hand on Ron's shoulder. "Ron… what's wrong with you?"  
  
Ron snapped around and hit Harry across his jaw. "How dare you touch me, bore! How dare you try to get near my precious angel!"  
  
"Precious angel? Innocent maiden? Ron, are you feeling alright?" asked Hermione as she tentatively touched Ron's cheek.   
  
Harry moved his jaw around. He sighed in relief that it wasn't broken. "Ron… she's right… what's wrong?"  
  
"I thought I told you to get back, knave!" Ron said and he flung a book at Harry. Harry ducked and retreated to Astra, Nevaeh and now Avalon, who had joined them.  
  
"What's his deal! He never acts like this!" said Ginny as she came up beside Harry.   
  
"We know…" said the three girls simultaneously.  
  
"He just up and suddenly started wiggin' out on Hermione." Said Avalon.  
  
"He hit me." Said Harry. Ginny walked over and touched his jaw. Harry could feel the heat rise in his cheeks at her touch.  
  
"You've got a massive bruise on your jaw, Harry." She said softly.  
  
"Why don't we try to figure out what is wrong with Ron first?" said an amused Nevaeh.  
  
Just then, Ron took out his wand and said some spell Harry didn't recognize. Suddenly, hundreds of gerbils started skittering to his feet. "What the blazes?"  
  
"Damned if I know…" said Astra. She took out her wand and readied herself for whatever was about to happen.  
  
Ron picked up Hermione and threw her over his shoulder. Let go of me, you moron!" she hit him on his back.  
  
"I will destroy all that wish to take my precious away from me!" He shouted, his wand still poised over the ever-growing number of gerbils.  
  
"Uh… Vee? You got any clue as to what's going on?" asked Astra.  
  
"Not a one, but it looks as if he's just called every gerbil in the continent." Avalon said.  
  
Ron put down his wand and smiled maliciously. Harry swore that his eyes flashed yellow for a brief second before Ron raised his wand again. "Come my grand army! Let us prey on those who wish to undermine me!"  
  
"Army…?" asked Harry. Astra shrugged when he glanced over at her. Suddenly, a wall of Gerbils was formed and advanced on the small group formed. "Uh… guys? I think we ought to RUN!"  
  
Harry ran away with Astra pulling up behind him. Avalon came up behind her and shot some spell in front of them. "GET OUT THE WAY! THERE'S AN ARMY OF GERBILS COMING THIS WAY!" screamed Astra.  
  
Astra looked back to see Ron riding on top of the massive wave of gerbils, laughing maniacally. "YOU SHALL NEVER HAVE HER! HAHAHAHAA!!!!!"  
  
"Good God…. He thinks he's her savior!" said Nevaeh behind Astra.  
  
Harry grabbed Ginny's arm and brought her closer to him. "We need to get out of the way!" He then barged straight into some empty classroom. They flew onto the floor as Harry wrapped himself around Ginny to protect her from the fall. They landed with a thud on the hard floor.  
  
The wall of gerbils passed b y the room and disappeared. Harry opened his eyes and looked down at Ginny, who had her arms wrapped around his neck. Her eyes were shut tightly. Harry lifted himself off of her and blushed. "S-sorry…"  
  
She opened her eyes and stared at him. "What the hell is going on! Ron is being the most amazing prat ever!"  
  
"You noticed."  
  
"We need to find them. Who knows what Ron will do with his army of gerbils!" she said as she got to her feet. She looked around. "Where's Astra, Vee and Nev? Weren't they with us?"  
  
Astra, Nevaeh and Avalon were running as fast as they could from the sea of gerbils that were headed straight for them. "What the hell is up with him!" gasped Nevaeh.  
  
"Yer asking ME this?!" shouted Astra.  
  
"Would you two shut up and figure out a way to lead those things out of this school?!" Shouted Avalon.  
  
"I think I've got one." Said Astra. She then pulled Nevaeh and Avalon by the collars and dragged them through the massive doors in the main hall.  
  
Harry walked out of the room with his wand ready. "I think the coast is clear…"  
  
"What?" said Ginny coming up behind him.  
  
"Muggle expression."  
  
"Oh."  
  
They ran out into the empty hallway and looked around. Every now and then, a gerbil passed by and scuttled into a room. Harry suddenly heard someone scream. "Come on!" He grabbed Ginny's robes and pulled her with him at a dead run.  
  
Fred and George stood in the hallway in front of them. "Oy! Where are you two going!" shouted Fred.  
  
"Going after a maniacal redhead with delusions of grandeur!" shouted Harry as they passed by the twins.  
  
"Well, if you're going to have delusions, you might as well go for the satisfying ones!" shouted George.  
  
Astra led the way to the lake. The squid was lazily skirting in the cold black lake. "Jump into the lake!"  
  
"WHAT??!"  
  
"DO YOU KNOW WHAT TEMPERATURE IT IS AT THIS TIME OF YEAR!"  
  
"Just do it!"  
  
"YOU SHALL NOT ESCAPE ME, KNAVES!"  
  
"STOP THIS AT ONCE, YOU COMPLETE MORON!"  
  
Harry ran out the main doors and ran outside to see the massive wave of gerbils about to plunge after the girls as they ran toward the lake. "Oh no! They're going to jump into the lake!" screeched Ginny.  
  
"We have to stop them!" Harry launched himself after the gerbil armada. He ran as fast as he could with the wind stinging his face and eyes. He looked behind him to see Ginny chasing after him.  
  
Astra suddenly stopped dead in her tracks as she tripped both of her comrades just before they reached the edge of the lake. The gerbil tsunami splayed over them and then emptied into the lake. Ron, who was still holding a screaming and hitting Hermione, jumped off and landed stealthily onto the ground. "I knew it…." Astra muttered.  
  
"Damnable rodents! They shall never work for me ever again!" shouted Ron.  
  
Harry came up behind Ron and brought out his wand. "RON! PUT DOWN HERMIONE!"  
  
"You think I will let you steal her away from me?! On guard, bore!" Ron put down Hermione and brought his own wand. "CRUCIO!"  
  
Harry's Quidditch reflexes came back in handy. He dodged the flash of light and shouted out his own spell. "EXPELLIARMUS!"  
  
Ron went flying into a nearby tree and fell flat on his back. "THAT BLEEDIN' HURT!"  
  
Astra helped up Nevaeh and Avalon. "Some plan, Astra… you could've killed us when ya tripped us!" growled Avalon.  
  
"Shut up, Leprechaun! It's him!" growled Astra. She flew forward at the quickly recovering Ron. "Petrificus Totalus!" she shouted with her wand raised.  
  
The shot bounced off the tree as Ron dodged the shot and hurled himself away from the tree. "No you don't, you silly girl!"  
  
"Silly girl my ass! I know who you are! Get outta his head, Donovan!" growled Astra.  
  
"What makes you think it's me!"  
  
"You mean beside the factoid that you just said me!?"  
  
"DONOVAN!"  
  
Ron snapped his head in the direction of the familiar commanding voice that emanated from behind Harry. Harry slowly turned to see Ginny walking very gracefully through the snow towards him. Her brown eyes, he noticed, were blue now.  
  
"I thought you went back to America with the rest of your students, White!" said Ron through clenched teeth.  
  
"What makes you think I went back while you are still here?" said Ginny with a smirk.  
  
"Miss White?" said Harry incredulously. His head was beginning to hurt from the strain of putting all of this information together.   
  
Ginny turned her head gracefully towards him. "Yes… don't worry, Harry… everything will be alright."  
  
Harry didn't know what to think from her statement. He watched helplessly as she strode forward, holding her wand out in front of her, muttering some strange sounding spell.  
  
"NOO!!!!!" came a scream from above Ron.  
  
"Get out of my bloody HEAD, YOU" and then Ron said something Harry had never heard him say before. He growled and fell knees first into the snow. "Damned git was trying to give me a permanent headache!"  
  
Harry watched as a free floating figure was whisked away by the wind and disappeared. Ginny turned around and smiled at Harry. Suddenly, she fainted onto the fluffy snow, her flaming hair splayed out in all directions, contrasting in the snow. Harry flew forward and kneeled down beside Ginny. "Gin! You alright?"  
  
She opened her bright brown eyes and smiled up at him. "That was fun!" she giggled.  
  
"What happened."  
  
"I heard her voice enter into my head and she asked if she could use my body to help Ron, so I let her." She said as she stood up, brushing snow from her robes.  
  
"RON! What were you thinking trying to use the Cruciatus curse on HARRY!" came a growling voice from Hermione. She smacked him on the head as he started to stand up.  
  
"OW! Hermione! I swear! I didn't know that he had taken over me! I went to sleep last night and found myself surrounded by men trying to get at you when I woke up!" yelled Ron, rubbing his head where she had hit him.  
  
"One of Donovan's favorite tricks. He likes to come into the sleeping brain of an individual and keep them busy with anything he can come up with and use their body to do things while the person he has control of hasn't the faintest clue that they're doing things." Said Astra in one breath.  
  
"Crikey…." Said Harry. "So we have to be careful then…"  
  
"You always have to careful, Harry. Don't worry about Donovan, I think Miss White did something that'll prevent him from ever using that particular trick for a long time." Smirked Avalon.  
  
"Well… I think we pretty much blew our transfiguration class for today." Said Nevaeh. "Let's head back to the barn.." Everyone obliged and headed back to the castle. 


	19. Ode To Harry Potter

A/N: This song is "Ode to Harry" by the Switchblade Kittens. Look for it… It's great! I thought it would be too good to pass up to worry poor Harry. *tee* XD  
  
Yes... a short chapter this time... sorry... having a little trouble trying to change the way things are going to happen. EEP!  
  
Yes… I decided to put them in here, because it's just too great a song to leave out and they are too cool!  
  
Chapter Nineteen  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
"When you miss me it'll be too late…" sang a girl from down the Gryffindor table. Harry had been listening to her sing for past minute or so. He couldn't figure what she was doing. He glanced down the table and saw a girl sitting writing out something on a piece of parchment. "I love you, but it seems you don't love me, my friends say that you are so great… and I know you'll see that we were meant to be…."  
  
She was singing it to Ginny and Harry watched as the redheaded girl giggled and sang along with it. "It's great, Drama! I love it!" she giggled.  
  
"Thanks Ginny…. Do you think he'll blush when he hears this?" the girl smiled.  
  
"Hee hee… I haven't the faintest clue, really. Harry doesn't blush." Ginny said.   
  
Harry nearly choked on his porridge. 'GACK! What the hell are they talking about!', he thought. He was still staring when Ron and Hermione sat down at the table.   
  
"Harry… what are you staring at?" asked Ron. He plopped some eggs on his plate and grabbed some bacon.   
  
"I don't know anymore…" he muttered. He glanced over to see Ron shrugging at Hermione and going back to his eggs.   
  
"Hey guys… what's up?" said the cheerful voice of Nevaeh. Astra and Avalon, who looked like they had just been dug up from a grave, flanked her. Harry motioned towards them. "Them? Oh… they aren't morning people."  
  
In potions, Harry was again bombarded by Professor Snape's cynicism. "I don't think you have been paying much attention, Mr. Potter. You just put bat wings in at the wrong time." sneered Snape at Harry.   
  
All Harry wanted to do now was to find a safe place to hide. Everyone was staring at him and he could feel himself turning red with embarrassment. He hunkered down in his chair and tried not to get noticed today anymore than he already had. After the shock he had this morning he wasn't in the mood to let anyone else mess with his head.  
  
Harry watched Snape retreat to his desk and start writing. "Five points taken from Gryffindor…" he said casually. Harry suddenly noticed Snape wince and hold his left wrist for a brief second. Harry knew what was happening. He had heard about it from the conversation Snape had had with Dumbledore in Harry's fourth year.  
  
After potions, Harry went back to Gryffindor Tower to get his defense against the dark arts homework. He ran up the steps to the dorms and ran into something somewhat soft and smelled of tiger lilies. He glanced underneath him to see a familiar red head glaring up at him. She was beet red and somehow reminded him of her own mother right now. "Sorry, Ginny… I didn't see you coming down."  
  
"You could at least watch where you're going next time, Harry." She said shortly at him. Her face became softer and her bright brown eyes became teasing. "You know… you can get off of me any time now…"  
  
Harry blushed and jumped off of her so quickly that he hit his head on the wall behind him. "Ow… er… sorry…"  
  
She walked up to him and smiled. "It's okay…" and then she walked off out the portrait hole. Harry smirked to himself, and then he remembered why he came here in the first place. He dashed up the stairs and got his books, then ran off to class.  
  
During lunch, Harry sat with Ron and Hermione. Astra came in and sat down next to Nevaeh and Avalon. Harry ate peacefully until Ron gasped and turned white with horror. Harry stared at him for a while before asking. "Ron? Ron.. what's wrong?"  
  
Ron was still staring at the letter in his hand, horrified. "Great Merlin…." He finally said.  
  
"Ron?" asked Hermione tentatively.   
  
Harry took Ron's letter out his hands and Ron leaned against Hermione, trying to breathe properly. Harry read it aloud to everyone. "Ron, We know that you haven't heard from us in a while, but we thought you needed to hear this from us. The house had been attacked a few days ago and we came back to help mom and dad rebuild some things and get things back in order. Please don't worry about any of us… we are beginning to put protection charms on this old house so that when you come home, we can sleep soundly. Take care, Charlie."  
  
Harry sat back in his seat and stared at the note. The Weasley's home had been attacked. Charlie didn't say by whom, but Harry knew who had to have been. Deatheaters. "I don't believe it…"  
  
Ginny, Fred and George walked over and hugged Ron. "We got the same letters… Oh Ron… what is happening…" said a frightened Ginny.  
  
"I've got the newest issue of the Daily Prophet…." Spoke up Avalon. "There have been a few attacks everywhere in England." She looked over at Astra and Harry saw Astra's eyes sort of glaze over in fear. Avalon's eyes remained focused on her sister. "There aren't any attacks happening in America…. Yet…"  
  
Astra breathed a sigh of relief and let Nevaeh lean against her shoulder for support. Nevaeh was as white as Ron was, her brown-auburn locks contrasting greatly from her skin. "Oh my God, Astra… What if they start going after my family… or yours?"  
  
"Gran and Mom will take care of your family and themselves. Kennedy is no where near where we live, so he's okay…" Astra's voice trailed off. She stood up and walked over to Ron. She placed her hand on his shoulder and smiled. "Be happy that they are alright and smile… we have the rest of the year to worry about…"  
  
Ron looked like he was suffering an internal struggle. In one way, he looked as if he might punch her and in another way, he looked as if he might smile. Ginny came to Astra's aid and smiled up at her. "Thank you, Astra…. We all need that thought."  
  
George and Fred nodded in unison. "Be happy for what you've got…" said Fred.  
  
"Be happy for what HASN'T happened." Said George.  
  
"You two know how to make a girl's day, ya know that guys?" smirked Astra as she ruffled Fred's hair. George laughed and earned himself an elbow to his ribs from Fred. Everyone laughed, including Harry.   
  
  
A couple of days passed and Harry was relieved when he heard some good news come his way. "Hagrid is back?" he asked Hermione who had just come back from the prefects meeting that he couldn't attend. He was still studying for his O.W.L.'s.   
  
"Yes.. he is… Madame Maxime went back to Beauxbatons." She said as she sat down beside Ron on the sofa.   
  
"Ugh… I hate studying for these blasted things." Said Ron tossing his book onto the floor disgusted.   
  
"You need to keep studying for the O.W.L's! They show how well you're doing here!" chastised Hermione.  
  
Ron was about to say something when there was a shout from somewhere across the Common Room. "Play! Play the song! You guys are great!" said a familiar voice. Ron recognized Astra as the one shouting. Harry then saw whom she was shouting at. There was a band assembled in the far corner of the Common Room. There was a drummer, three bass players and a singer standing there getting ready to play.   
  
"I wonder what is going on?" asked Harry as he stood up and walked over to see the commotion the four-girl and one boy band was causing. Fred and George pulled him over towards them, wearing identical grins.  
  
Ginny sat next to one of her friends as she giggled at the group. "Play it! Play it! It's a great song! Let's see how he looks after it!" she laughed.  
  
"Ladies and gentlemen… we are the Switchblade Kittens and we are going to play a song that we have lovingly called… Ode to Harry Potter." Said the singer.  
  
The drummer started off and the three bassists went off. The lead singer with rainbow bangs started to sing.  
  
I can't help but blush when you're near me  
  
But you just exclude me from your circle of three  
  
I'm right in front of you, but you don't see  
  
You treat me like I'm a Colin Creevey  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
I love you  
  
But it seems you don't love me  
  
My friends say you're so brave  
  
And I know  
  
You will see that we were meant to be  
  
When you miss me it will be too late  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
I have swallowed so much love my hair grows red  
  
Come over to my house to see my brother instead  
  
You didn't get my Valentine, didn't know what it meant  
  
Every page about you my diary's read  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
I love you  
  
But it seems you don't love me  
  
My friends say you're so brave  
  
And I know  
  
You will see that we were meant to be  
  
When you miss me it will be too late  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Even though you're the one I adore  
  
Next year at Hogwarts you'll see I've transformed  
  
I will hold my head up high, I'm a Gryffindor  
  
And you won't need to save me anymore  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
I love you  
  
But it seems you don't love me  
  
My friends say you're so brave  
  
And I know  
  
You will see that we were meant to be  
  
When you miss me it will be too late  
  
  
I love you  
  
But it seems you don't love me  
  
My friends say you're so brave  
  
And I know  
  
You will see that we were meant to be  
  
When you miss me it will be too late  
  
  
With the final chords, the entire Common room exploded into applause. "GREAT JOB, GUYS! GREAT JOB!" shouted Astra at the top of her lungs. She looked over at Harry and gave him two thumbs up. "YOU'VE GOT YERSELF A SPITFIRE HERE, LADDIE!"  
  
Harry found that he was as red as Ginny when he glanced over at her. She was laughing so hard at him that she had tears in her eyes. Harry had the distinction that he had the look of "Why?" on his face, because Ginny finally stopped laughing and smiled at him. "Lessons from Astra!" she giggled and pranced off to hug the band.  
  
"What has gotten into her lately, Ron?" Harry glanced over where Ron had been and saw him otherwise engaged at the moment. He was kissing Hermione on the sofa. "Nevermind then…" he sniggered. 


	20. Battleground

A/N: So we have some humor in the midst of a battle. Some fluff.... not like I'm going to do Full Frontal Fluff until the end of seventh. Until then.... you mild bits of fluff because it's just to sugary sweet to not do. *^_^*  
  
Chapter Twenty  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
  
  
The week after everyone took his or her O.W.L's, everyone wanted nothing to do with studying. Harry had to go to meetings and Hermione would drag him there. He never got much information on anything at these meetings and it bored him severely. After the latest meeting, Harry went back to the common room and sat alone in a corner.  
  
Astra had the time of her life watching Harry fumble with his own emotions. She was right now watching him bang his head against a wall as he tried to figure out what his hormones were telling him. "It.." thump. "Can't.." thump. "Be.." thump. "Her…" thump. "Must.." thump. "Purge.." thump. "Or Ron.." thump. "Will.." thump. "Kill me.."  
  
Nevaeh watched as she shook her head. "Do you think we ought to go over there and stop him before he makes a dent in his lovely little head?"  
  
"Why? It's entertaining, watching some poor fella beat his head on a stone wall." said Avalon. Astra gave her a warning look and Avalon sighed in defeat. "Alright… what should we do then…"  
  
"He'll figure himself out soon enough… I just hope he does it before he loses his cha--" Just then, an explosion from outside shook the whole common room. Astra fell onto the ground covering her sister from debris.  
  
"What the hell was that!" shouted someone across the common room. It was Ginny who shouted. She was holding onto Fred trying to keep her balance.  
  
"It sounded as if it came from outside!" shouted Harry. He got up from his spot on the floor and ran to the window. He saw Astra come up behind him. He saw the same look of worry cross her blue-gray eyes. His own emerald were now fixated on the explosion that occurred outside.  
  
"Good God…." Muttered Astra. Harry followed her line of vision and saw what she had referred to. Harry's stomach clenched itself into a ball. "The hut outside… It's been blown to bits!"  
  
Harry saw a lone figure running away from the hut. "Hagrid's alright!"  
  
Ron came up behind him with Hermione. "Oh God… Harry… we need to help him!" said Ron.  
  
Ginny came up behind Ron and squeezed herself between him and Harry. "I don't see who caused the explosion."  
  
Astra pointed to another figure coming out of the darkness. "Donovan…." She gulped. "I'm going out there…." She said resolutely. Avalon put a hand on Astra's arm, her brown eyes pleading with her. Astra dragged Nevaeh along with her as Harry followed.  
  
"What's all this?" asked Neville who was coming down the steps from the dormitories. "Why are you all trying to cram yourselves through the portrait hole all at once?"  
  
Harry sighed at his luck. He was now stuck between Ron and Ginny in the portrait hole as he tried to squirm his way out. Ginny blushed at him and tried to help him. "Sorry, Harry… I didn't mean to try to go through with you.."  
  
"I-it's alright, Ginny… I don't mind…" said Harry trying to keep his face as unred as possible.  
  
"Could you two stop flirting and help us all get out of here?" growled Astra who was stuck between Nevaeh and Hermione. "Geez, Nev… you need to lose weight!"  
  
"SHUT UP!" Nevaeh kicked Astra and she flew out onto the floor. "Oops… sorry about that Astra.."  
  
"Well…" she said as she cracked her neck, "It seems Nev can come in handy after all." Nevaeh kicked Hermione away from her.  
Hermione landed next to Astra on her rump. "Owwie…"  
  
"Harry… I think you guys have some room to walk with now…." Said Astra a bit amused at Ron trying to shove Harry away from him. "I think you want the other direction, sweetie… Yer only succeeding in shoving Harry into Ginny."  
  
Ron blushed and shoved the other direction. Harry popped out on the other side and watched as Ron and Ginny walked out together. Harry stood up and left the through the portrait hole. "Now… let's see if we can't get at Donovan." Said Astra.  
  
Astra led the way. She knew that Donovan could be difficult to disable, but he always worked alone with his raven. 'He should be the only one out there..', she thought to herself as she grabbed Harry and pulled him up beside her. "Come on… we're gonna run into McGonnagal if we aren't careful." She said as she rounded a corner.  
  
"Hermione… Ron… take that direction… in case he brought some deatheaters with him…" said Harry. He pointed down a joining corridor that led to a side entrance.  
  
"Vee.. go with them…" said Astra.  
  
"Right."  
  
Harry ran next to Ginny and Astra with Nevaeh. Astra pulled Nevaeh closer beside her as they rounded a corner. "Be careful, Nev… I don't know where he's going to strike… He's drawing us out.. I know it…"  
  
"Got it…"  
  
They all found the outskirts of the gate. It was in shambles. The stone had fallen and the metal was melted down to almost nothing. Harry stood there trying to figure where everything had happened. Suddenly, light flashed and Astra hit him away. He looked up to where Nevaeh and Ginny had been. They were gone.  
  
"Donovan is up to his old tricks again… they'll be fine…" said Astra as she pulled Harry up beside her.  
  
Suddenly, light flashed around them and then Harry felt a familiar pull behind his navel. He was propelled forward and landed hard on Astra. He opened his eyes and saw something horrified him to the core. Ginny and Nevaeh were tied on a post as well as Hermione and Avalon. Ron was tied up to a tree with his arms held out suspended in the air by rope.  
  
"Good God…" muttered Astra.  
  
"Good evening…. I knew I could get you to come out sooner or later…" said a drawling voice. Harry looked up to see a pair of red eyes staring at him lazily. "Our guest of Honor has brought some friends with him… maybe we should put him with them."  
  
Harry glanced around him. He saw Donovan over on one side of Voldemort and he saw Wormtail on the other, his silver hand shining in the moonlight.  
  
"Take them and tie them up with the half giant." Voldemort said lazily.   
  
Someone hit Harry in his back with something that made his whole body go rigid. 'Full body bind…', he thought to himself. Someone picked him up and carried him over to a tree where they tied him up like Ron, his arms above him tied to two branches on either side of him. He could feel the spell wear off of him, but he knew that he couldn't get himself free now.  
  
Astra felt someone grab and tie her wrists together from behind her. When they stood her up, she whirled around and shot out her foot at their face. She was stunned by what she saw. A pale, pointed face with cold gray eyes, like Draco.   
  
"Mr. Malfoy… I doubt you are having a problem?" said Voldemort from no where.  
  
Blood trickled out from one of the corners of his mouth as he sneered at her. "No…" He made another grab for her and managed to get her hands. She pulled him behind her and tried to free herself from his grasp. It was too late, though. The next thing she felt was searing pain and cold unconsciousness.  
  
Harry watched Lucius Malfoy tie Astra next to him against the tree. Her hands still tied together. He watched as Voldemort stood from his throne and walked over towards him, his long fingers reaching out to him. "Such a face…." He said as he ran a cold finger across Harry's cheekbone.  
  
"Get away from me, Voldemort…" he managed to get out without gagging from repulsion.   
  
Voldemort smiled at him. "Such spirit… should be broken…." He walked over to where the others were tied up. He stopped in front of Hermione. "Who should I start with first, eh Harry? Who do you choose that I start with the fun…"  
  
"Get away from them!" Harry shouted through Voldemort's laughter. Harry struggled against his bindings futilely.   
  
Voldemort looked as if he were considering something. "No… how about…" He glided noiselessly over toward Ginny. Harry's heart hammered in his ears. "Yes… the Weasley girl…" He cupped her chin and brought her face up. "Such a sweet girl, I hear…."  
  
Voldemort brought his wand and pointed it at the now awakening Ginny. Harry watched her bright brown eyes open to see Voldemort standing over her. She went pale and fear over took the brilliant brown depths of her eyes. "Eek! Get away from me!" she screamed.  
  
Harry pulled at his bindings again. He couldn't move from his spot. He watched helplessly as Ginny tried desperately to get away from Voldemort's maniacal laughter. "Ginny!" Harry shouted.  
  
She stopped squirming and looked over at him. She had pleading eyes. "Harry… what's going on?"  
  
Voldemort looked between the two of them and smiled maliciously. "I see…" He brought his wand down and shouted. "CRUCIO!"  
  
Harry watched as Ginny's entire body convulsed in pain. Her screams were piercing into his ears and heart. Harry tried again to release himself. He couldn't and was resigned to watch as the red head was once again hit with another wave of pain. "STOP THIS! WHAT DO YOU WANT!" Harry yelled.  
  
Ginny's body fell limp and her head lolled down, her chin resting on her chest. Voldemort glanced over at him and Harry could feel his scar burn with searing pain. Harry winced, trying to keep his eyes open to watch Voldemort walk over to him. Harry's heart pounded as he heard the soft footfalls of the man coming towards him.  
  
Voldemort bent down to gaze directly into his face. Harry forced his emerald eyes open and glared at the monster before. "I want to make you suffer…" growled Voldemort.  
  
Voldemort walked away and went to Ron. "Crucio…" Voldemort growled and Ron was stricken with the same pain.  
  
Harry could feel movement beside him and glanced over and up to see Hagrid awakening. "Harry… what are yeh doin' here…" he said softly.  
  
"I was lured…." Harry heard Ron's screams become louder. Harry growled as he forced himself to not try to rip his ropes from himself. 'NO! Not Ron…!', he shouted inside his mind. Suddenly, he felt one of the ropes holding his right hand loosen and slip away from his hand. 'It seems I strike again…', he thought to himself.  
  
Suddenly, out of no where, a large wolf jumped onto a hulking Deatheater. He screamed as his throat was ripped out. The wolf staggered away from the body of the Deatheater and glared at the others. "Who is this wolf!"  
  
"Sir… I think I may know…" came Wormtail's shaky voice. He stepped forward into the moonlight.   
  
Harry glanced up at the moon and saw it was entirely full. "Oh no…" he muttered. Hagrid seemed to acknowledge the thought as well.  
  
"Remus Lupin…" said Malfoy as he glared at Wormtail.  
  
The werewolf growled at all of the approaching deatheaters. Harry felt Hagrid become free from his bindings and jump at the nearest deatheater. Harry tried to untie the other rope holding his right hand, but he couldn't do it.  
  
"Get him, Donovan!" growled Voldemort.  
  
Donovan grabbed his wand and shot a curse at the half giant. "IMPERIOUS!"  
  
Hagrid turned to him and smiled at him. "Is that all yeh got, laddie?"   
  
Donovan fumbled with his wand, frightened of Hagrid as he walked towards him. "Um… um… oh buggar…" said Donovan. Hagrid picked up Donovan by his vest and brought him up to eye level. "You uh… you wouldn't want to stop now, would you?"  
  
"Blast you, Donovan! Kill him! Kill him before he makes a mess of things!" Voldemort was getting angrier by the minute.   
  
Harry felt his right hand fall to his side. Harry looked up at the place where his hand had been and saw Sirius up in the tree, smiling down at him. "Hello there, Godson…" he smirked and faked an American accent. "How's it hangin'."  
  
"Sirius! What are you doing here!" Harry whispered frantically. His other hand fell to his side and he began to loosen the ropes around his waist and legs.  
  
"Can't I rescue my own Godson from a three faced villain if I feel like it?" his grin became wider. "Besides.. Remus is having his own fun…" He indicated to the werewolf. "I figured it would be a better idea to just let him take his aggressive tendencies out on something useful."  
  
"I said to KILL him… Not GRILL him!" shouted Voldemort. He slapped his forehead in defeat. "Great Merlin… what did I hire…."  
  
"AVADA KEDAVRA!"   
  
Harry turned in time to see Hagrid fall to the ground, dead. Tears fought their way to his eyes as he watched the offending wand retreat into the vest of Donovan. Hagrid's eyes were wide open in shock; his hands still in front of him.   
  
"Not Hagrid…" whispered Sirius above him.   
  
Harry felt a tear escape his burning eyes and fall down his cheek. The salt flavor went into his mouth, making want to cry more. "No…"  
  
Voldemort smiled. "So much for the half giant…" he said loftily. He turned to Wormtail. "I think it's time we untie our guest…"  
  
Wormtail made a move to walk forward, but Harry jumped from the tree and in font of the body of Hagrid lying on the ground before Wormtail could take another step. Wormatil's hand gleamed brilliantly at him. "You should never have come back, Harry…"  
  
"Petrificus Totalus!" shouted Harry, his wand out in front of him. The shot blasted from his wand and hit Wormtail in the chest. His entire body went rigid and he fell to the ground.  
  
"Well… I guess I get to do the honors…" said Voldemort with mild surprise. He lifted his wand and pointed it at Harry.   
  
"Expeliarmus!" shouted Harry.   
  
A bright light shot out of his wand and missed Voldemort. "Avada Kedavra…" Harry watched the green light rush at him. He could just feel the rushing death come upon him and then…  
  
Harry heard a scream of pain and a thump on the ground. Harry forced his eyes open to see Voldemort on the ground. Voldemort glared up at Harry, his red eyes burning with hatred, bearing his teeth at him. "Not again… WHAT HAPPENED!"  
  
Donovan grabbed Voldemort and picked up some stone. Harry jumped forward to grab Donovan, but his hands only hit air. Harry landed on the ground hard. He glanced up, thinking he would see himself surrounded by Deatheaters, but they had disappeared as well.  
  
Harry felt a hand on his shoulder, helping him up from the ground. "You did wonderfully, Harry.." said Sirius.   
  
"I did horribly… Hagrid is dead…" Harry choked back more tears. He suddenly remembered everyone was still tied up.   
  
"Don't worry… while you took care of Voldemort, I untied most of your friends." Sirius indicated toward Ginny and Hermione.   
  
Harry rushed over to them and untied Hermione. Ron came up and picked her up. "Thanks, mate…" Ron took Hermione over to Sirius, who was helping to hold up both Avalon hold up Astra and Nevaeh.   
  
Harry undid Ginny's bindings. She fell into his arms limply. Her face was pale and he could see traces of burns on her skin. He brushed a hand over her face to brush away her hair. "Ginny… wake up…"  
  
Her eyes opened and she smiled. "I'm sorry, Harry…. I guess you really do have to save me don't you…" Then, her eyes closed and her head lolled to the side.  
  
"No… Ginny… don't be dead… Ginny.." Harry slapped her face lightly. "Ginny…" Harry felt for a pulse and found one. He sighed in relief as he swept his other hand under her knees and picked her up. "Don't worry… we'll all be alright.."  
  
  
Astra woke up to a lot of yelling. "I told you! He's innocent!" shouted Harry. She sat up slowly to see Harry yelling at Mr. Fudge. She saw Sirius comforting Professor McGonnagal, who was crying into his shoulder.   
  
"That man is NOT innocent! I know what he did!" shouted Mr. Fudge pointing at Sirius.  
  
"I am… ask Pettigrew here." Sneered Sirius using his foot to shove the groveling Wormtail in front of him. "He's alive…"  
  
At that moment, Percy walked in with the new assistant head of the Ministry. Astra remembered seeing a picture of her when she came over to England. "What's this all about? Mr. Fudge… what's going on? You told me to get Miss Delemore and a Dementor. I wasn't allowed to bring a Dementor, but I brought Ms. Delemore."  
  
"Who is this tiny little man in front of me?" she asked indicating Wormtail. "He looks oddly familiar."  
  
"Meet Peter Pettigrew, Ms. Delemore…" said Sirius as he stood up.  
  
She gasped at the sight of Sirius. "You're… y-y-y-you're…." Then, his words registered in her brain. "Peter Pettigrew?"  
  
"I told you I was innocent…" said Sirius as he walked over to Harry. "Tell them, Pettigrew… you owe Harry that much…"  
  
Wormtail growled and stood up. "I am Peter Pettigrew and I killed those people and Lily and James Potter."   
  
"I don't believe it…" said Mr. Fudge. He then made a face and brought Miss Delemore over. "Take note… that Mr. Sirius Black is now a free and innocent person."  
  
"It is him… great scott… it's him.." she muttered under her breath.  
  
Percy brought in a few more officials to take away Wormtail. He willingly had his hands bound together and walked out the door of the hospital wing. Harry sighed in relief and hugged Sirius gratefully. "Sirius… I'm so glad you have been repealed."  
  
"It's okay, Harry… first thing I do is I'm going to ask Dumbledore if I can have you over the summer with me and Remus." Sirius smiled down at Harry. "I think someone is waking up that you ought to go talk to…" he indicated toward Ginny, who was stirring. Hermione was sitting next to Ron, holding onto him as he kissed the top of her head.  
  
Harry walked over to Ginny. He kneeled down and smiled at her. "Good morning Ginny.. Are you feeling any better?" he asked her as her eyes opened to meet his gaze.  
  
"I hurt… all over…" she groaned. Percy walked over and sat next to Ron watching his little sister intently. "I'm fine, Perce… you don't need to worry…Same goes for you, Ron…"  
  
They both stood up and walked over to Nevaeh and Avalon who were all smiling at Astra. "Thank God, yer all right, Astra…" cried Nevaeh as she flung her arms around her.  
  
Harry smiled at the image before him. Both her sister and Nevaeh were hugging Astra to death. He turned to Ginny, smiling down at her. "Ginny… what did you mean by what you said when I untied you from the tree?"   
  
"The song… Drama is a friend of mine and she wanted to make a song from my point of view. Don't you remember the words in the song? I will hold my head up high, I'm a Gryffindor and you won't have to save me anymore?"  
  
Harry thought for a moment. His insides were melting as he sat here speaking to her. He remembered the song and the words. "I remember. I'm sorry that I couldn't help when you were being tortured by him."  
  
"You don't need to be sorry… There was nothing you could've done to help me at the time." She sighed.  
  
Astra watched as Harry kissed Ginny's forehead and smiled down at her. 'Go get her, boy…', she thought to herself as she smiled knowingly.  
  
Just then, Mr. Fudge raced into the hospital wing, breathing hard like he had been running. "He got away! Pettigrew got away! And the bloke broke my wrist doing it!" Everyone had a collective sigh of defeat.  
  
Harry was called to Dumbledore's office not long after the announcement of Pettigrew getting away. He walked in and sat down with Sirius sitting in the chair next to him. "What did you need, Professor?"  
  
"I need you to tell me what happened out there. It' s important that you do this now or you'll have it bottled up inside you." Dumbledore said. Harry noticed how much older he seemed right now.  
  
Harry told Dumbledore everything and sat in the chair hoping that he could avoid having to recount it again. He knew this had happened the year before, but he could still hold the sentiment. When he finished, Dumbldore sat back in his chair, scratching his chin.  
  
Something bothered Harry about what had happened. "Professor.... when Voldemort tried to hit me with the killing curse... why wasn't I killed... why did he fall?"  
  
"Do remember when he took your blood to bring himself back, Harry?" Harry nodded. "When he took your blood, he gave himself human weaknesses. When he tried to kill you, he was trying to kill himself. It deflected off of you and hit him instead, which is why he fell. He can't be killed right now, but he certainly is disabled. Now... Harry... I want you to go back to your dorm and get some rest." 


	21. The Beginning

A/N: It's been fun guys! the last chapter of Fifth year and I'm done with this year. Stay tuned for Harry Potter, Astra Knight and the Soul Reaver's Light! Which I am going to get to right after I finish talking about this chapter.  
  
Chapter Twenty-One  
  
By: Ehren Hatten  
  
  
  
  
Astra watched as Harry moped around trying to blame Hagrid's death on himself. Astra knew he would do it. She knew because she would have done the same thing. She did do the same thing.   
  
She sat outside at the moment next to the lake. "So what do you say, Leon…? Do I live on with out you or do you want me to live my life completely withdrawn because I can't have anyone else but you. Like you need any more added to yer ego." She said to the air with a smile. She smirked at her own questions. "I should've helped him. I should've been awake for him… for all of them…" She sighed.  
  
"You couldn't have done anything, Astra…" came a familiar voice. Avalon came up behind Astra and sat down next to her. They were outside next to the lake watching the giant squid skate through the water. "He needed to do it on his own."  
  
"Yer right, Vee…I just can't help, but do the same thing he is doing right now. I don't know how I can help right now…" Astra said staring at the water.   
  
"Well… you can start first by forgiving yourself for Leon's death…" Avalon said nudging her sister.  
  
"Forgive myself?"  
  
"Astra Arwen Knight…. You haven't been the same since his death. You need to get a grip on yer life! You will find someone… eventually… yer relationship with him was as mature as anything I have ever seen, but you can't keep blaming yerself." Said Avalon. She stared at Astra intently.  
  
"You say that I will find someone eventually? You always did tell me that I would find the one I will eventually marry when I'm seventeen… tell me… who do you see in that little brain of yer's?" smirked Astra.  
  
"Do you forgive yerself?"  
  
"Yeah… I do… I think I did when I came here. So… what do you see?" said Astra with a huge grin across her face.   
  
"Gray tones and Silver…" she smirked at her.  
  
Astra went into a fit of giggles and started tickling Avalon. "THAT'S what you said LAST year! HAHA!"   
  
Not far away, Harry lay on the grass with Ron and Hermione. "So you think it'll be the same without him here?" said Ron.  
  
"No… of course not… why would you ask something like that." Asked Harry, sitting up on his elbows in the grass. "So who do you think will be the new Care of magical creatures professor?"  
  
"It got you to think of something else besides wallowing in self pity… I wonder if Charlie would like to teach?"   
  
"I don't think he would give up dealing with dragons so easily." Said Hermione as she rested her head on Ron's chest, her arms folded under her chin. She smiled at Harry and he smiled back. "Don't worry… you'll always have us."  
  
"Yeah… I guess you two wouldn't leave me alone if my scar started hurting again, would you?" Harry smirked.  
  
"Of course not…" said Ron. "So Harry… are you going to come over for the summer?"  
  
"Not at first… Dumbledore wanted me to stay with the Dursleys first then go to Sirius and Professor Lupin's place. Maybe I can get them to let you come over." Harry suddenly got a brilliant gleam in his eyes.  
  
"There's the Harry we all know and love." Said Hermione smiling broadly. "Now… I want you to write us if anything happens."  
  
"Yes Hermione…" smiled Harry. He was happy now. He was with his friends and he was alive. They were alive. He missed Hagrid deeply, but he felt better than he did when that night happened.  
In the Great Hall, everyone was somewhat quiet. The Gryffindors were the most silent of the place. Harry looked over to see Draco chatting with Pansy Parkinson.   
  
Harry's frustrations were brought to a halt when Dumbledore stood up and broght the attention of everyone. "It is yet the end of another year…"  
  
He glanced about the hall and his gaze fell on the empty seat on the far end of the staff table. Harry saw a teary eyed Professor McGonnagal biting her lip. Professor Snape even seemed to have a sad look on his face, though it didn't show very well.  
  
"There is much I would like to say to you all tonight. First…. I would like to acknowledgethe loss of a very close friend and colleage of mine. Rubeus Hagrid was the best games keeper that I have ever employed. Some might say that he should never have been allowed here, but I beg to differ. He was and foremost… A Gryffindor. His bravery in battle proved it."  
  
Harry glanced over to Astra. She looked much like he did. She wanted to cry, but refused to do so. Harry started thinking about her. In a way, she wasn't so different from him after all. She blamed herself now, just like he did and she wasn't even awake to do anything.  
  
"Let us raise our glasses and to Hagrid. May he rest in peace." Dumbledore finally said to the hall.  
  
Everyone stood up. The benches scraped as everyone stood up and raised their glasses. "To Hagrid…."   
  
  
"Thank goodness… My prefect badge hasn't been taken away." Sighed a relieved Hermione.   
  
"Of course it wouldn't, Herm… why would you think a thing like that!" asked Ron. "Did you fail something?"  
  
"No, of course not, silly. I was afraid Professor McGonnagal would take it away because of what we did. We broke the rules when we went outside to go after Donovan." Said Hermione.  
  
"Yeah… speaking of prefect badges… what do you say, Harry? Have you gotten yours taken away?" said Ron sidling up to Harry.  
  
"No… I didn't, amazingly enough." Sighed Harry. He grabbed his trunk and put it on the train. "Where's Ginny?"  
  
"I was wondering when you were going to ask that…" came a familiar voice. Harry turned around to see Ginny smiling at him. "Hi Harry."  
  
"Hi Ginny…" his stomach did a jig inside of his body. "Would you like to join us?"  
  
"Certainly…" she giggled. Harry walked with her onto the train and all four went into a compartment together.  
  
Astra led Nevaeh and Avalon to an empty compartment. Avalon sat down next to the window and gazed out. "Do you think we ought to come back?" she sighed.  
  
"Of course we should… why wouldn't we?" said Nevaeh.  
  
"She's worried about Donovan and Voldemort." Said Astra.  
  
"Why should she worry about them? Does she put your safty over the safty of the resident villains?" giggled Nevaeh as Avalon threw a book at Nevaeh. It hit her in the head and she plopped sideways onto the entire seat.  
  
"Well… I guess I better sit over here with you, then…" sighed Astra. "I think these 'lessons' from me are getting a bit out of hand, aren't they?"  
  
"That wasn't a lesson from you, airhead… That was a page outta my own book." Growled Avalon.  
  
"Oh.. you mean the book you just chucked at Nev?" smirked Astra right before she was hit with a different book. "Oh! You mean THIS one!"  
  
"Shut up!" giggled Avalon as she pounced on her sister and started wrestling her on the floor of the compartment. "HAHA! I'll get you for that!"  
  
Just then, the compartment door opened. Astra and Avalon looked up to see Fred and George standing in the door. "Should we ask if this is a daily ritual and if you two are planning incest?" grinned Fred.  
  
"How about I suggest TWINCEST!" giggled Astra as she jumped off the floor and pounced on Fred. "You think that's funny?!" She started pounding on Fred's arms with her fists.   
  
"I give up! I surrender!" laughed Fred.  
  
"I told you that the joke would earn you a right kick in the ass." Smirked George. He glanced over to Nevaeh and walked over towards her. "What happened to her?"  
  
"Avalon's twisted sense of humor." Said Astra as she got off of Fred and sat down on the seat.  
  
"Was not!"  
  
"Was too."  
  
"Was not!"  
  
"Was too!"  
  
"You two sound worse than us when we were six." Smirked Fred.   
  
"Do not." The two girls said in unison.  
  
"Do too."  
  
"Do not!"  
  
"Do too!"  
  
"Would you four shut up?! Yer making my headache worse!" shouted Nevaeh who was now awake.  
  
"Hee… let's see how much longer we can make her go out." Said George as he sidled up to Nevaeh, winking at her.  
  
Astra smiled at the two. "You two…" she sighed and laughed at the same time.  
  
In another compartment, Harry sat with Ginny, Ron and Hermione. He watched as the scenery went by and smiled at the thught of being able to be with Sirius. He was finally going to be able to be with his Godfather without him being persecuted.  
  
"Ron? I think we should go see where Astra went off to. I think I saw her just down the way." Said Hermione smiling at Ron.  
  
"Why?"  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes at him and grabbed his arm. "Because I said so. Now come on!"  
  
Harry shook his head at the two leaving. He knew what they were going to be up to. He had seen it before. Ginny sat beside Harry and blushed slightly when he looked over at her. Harry's heart skipped a beat when she put her hand over his.  
  
"Harry… you haven't said a word to me since that night in the hospital wing." She looked up at him and smirked. "You wouldn't be afraid of me would you?"  
  
"Er…." Was all he could say. His cheeks heated up and he wondered when Ron would get back. Not that he was disagreeable to Ginny, he was afraid Ron might try to tear him apart. "What if I said yes…." He managed to get out. "Actually, I'm afraid of your brothers." He could've slapped himself right now.  
  
Ginny made a face and pursed her lips. "They have been driving me crazy the entire year." she growled. "I wish I could do something to make them get off of my back. It's not like I'm a complete child anymore. I'm fourteen, damn it! They should be treating me at least a LITTLE differently." She glanced at Harry and smiled. "I think I have an idea...."  
  
Harry made a face and was about to say something when he felt her lips on his own. His eyes were wide open and he was trying to think of what to do next. His brain was almost nonfunctional.  
  
Then, the compartment door slid open. 'Great… where's a book when you need one….' He thought angrily. He happened a glance at the door. He saw Ron looking like he was having an internal struggle. His face was so brilliant red that Harry was sure that Ron would try to kill him now just by glaring at him. Poof and he would be incinerated.  
  
Harry did the only thing he could do. He waved at Ron and mumbled against Ginny's lips. "MMmmm! MmMMph!" He said as a greeting. Then, Harry decided that what Ginny was doing wasn't so bad after all and he kissed back before breaking them apart.  
  
Harry's brain was fuzzy from the kiss. 'I don't believe it…. She kissed me senseless!' he thought.  
  
"Good Lord, Harry.. that's my sister! You know… if she wants to kiss you, would you two PLEASE do it some place where I can't SEE you!" exclaimed Ron. "Ugh… I now need to purge my brain of that image." He said as he shuddered and walked out the door.  
  
Harry glanced over at Ginny and smiled. "I don't… I'm perfectly fine with this image." He said.  
  
He leaned foreward and kissed her gently on the mouth before she took his mouth with her own and opened it to let her in. 'She's doing it again! She's going to kiss me senseless!' his brain screamed. 'You know…. This isn't so bad… I kinda like all that hair in my hands… those lips pressed against mine and….'  
  
The compartment door opened and Harry growled audibly. He really wanted that book now. He turned to see the twins, Ron, Hermione, Avalon, Nevaeh and Astra, all wearing identical grins. "I see that you two have FINALLY gotten together." Giggled Astra.  
  
"What makes you think that." Said Harry. He knew perfectly well that his tie was right now out of his sweater and he looked distinctly ruffled. Ginny coughed to get his attention. She looked angry.  
  
The other Weasley's suddenly turned pale as Ginny looked up with a sort of Death glare. "If you don't get out…. I will do things to you with this book that only gay men would love!" she growled as she held up a book.  
  
Harry winced at the thought she just struck. She didn't mean shoving it up there, did she? He shuddered at the thought and noticed that the Twins and Ron did the same thing.  
  
The Twins and Ron grabbed all the girls and ran out quickly. Harry turned to Ginny and shook his head. "Where did you learn that threat? And don't tell me 'lessons from Astra'."  
  
"Actually… Lessons from Vee."  
  
Harry tickled Ginny and laughed as she kicked and screamed for him to stop. 'Yes... this is going to be interesting... a new year will be coming up and I'm going to have another roller coaster ride.' he thought as he stopped to smile down at Ginny. "Thanks Ginny..."   
  
He stood up and went to the door. He slid it open to reveal every as the fell in a heap on the ground in front of him. Harry laughed and smiled down at them. "Thank you all...."  
  
Everyone found a seat inside the compartment and sat. The Knights and Nevaeh sat on the floor opposite the twins. "So what do ya'll think will happen now that dear old Voldie has put himself out of commision for a while?" said Astra.  
  
"I still don't believe that happened." said Ron. He shook his head and wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist. "Well... when he comes, I'll protect my... 'Fair and innocent maiden'.  
  
Hermione hit him in his ribcage. "You make that sound like I'm your property." She grimaced at him.  
  
He smiled broadly. "That's because you are! You're my girl!" He had to duck and cover his head from her swatting at him head like a cat to a dangling mouse. "ACK! HAHA!"  
  
George grinned and took out a deck of cards. "Anyone for a game of exploding snap?"  
  
"What is it, aside from the sound plastic bags make when they are stretched to far." said Nevaeh.  
  
"Or what happens when you strike yer fingers to to make the sound of what it's called." said Avalon.  
  
"Or the name of one of the Rice Krispies elves..." grinned Astra.  
  
"Don't worry.... you'll learn quickly enough." grinned Harry.  
  
The rest of the journey passed pleasantly enough. Harry wished it could go on all summer. Then, he realized that he would be spending most of his time with Sirius and Lupin that he immediatly couldn't wait for it to end so he could come over.  
The Hogwarts Express was pulling in front of King's Cross station. The usual noise and confusion filled the corridors as students began to disembark. The Knights and Nevaeh walked out with Ron, Hermione and Ginny, whom Harry had told that he would say good bye to her before he left. He stayed back in the train and pulled back the twins as well.  
  
"Fred... George... could you wait a moment?"  
  
The twins stopped and went back to the seats opposite of him. They smiled broadly at him.  
  
"I'm surprised none of you ever gave me some ind of warning." said Harry.   
  
"You were expecting to have us dancing on your throat when we caught you kissing Gin?" said Fred.  
  
"No... we wouldn't do that. Don't get us wrong... we love our sister, but we figure you'll get enough punishment without us to contend with." said George.  
  
"What about Ron?"  
  
"Ron? I reckon Hermione said something to him before he found you, because HE'S the over protective brother." grinned Geroge.  
  
"Oh.. Harry... I will have you know... tht if you ever hurt Ginny, you'll have more than just Ron to deal with." said Fred with a twinkle in his eyes.  
  
"I'll have the rest of the Weasley's?"  
  
"No...Bill and Charlie have their own lives we figure they would agree with us on this. Same with Percy.... you'll have Ron right after Ginny get's through with you, or what's LEFT of you." smirked Fred.  
  
"That woman has a mean right hook and a perverse sense of humor." grinned George.  
  
They all walked out of the train and harry saw Uncle Vernon waiting for him beyond the barrier. Mrs. Weasley was close by him. She hugged Harry tightly and kissed him on his cheek."Now... do be careful."  
  
"See you, Harry!" cried Ron as he took his trunk and Hermoine's hand.  
  
"'Bye, Harry!" she said and then she kissed him on his cheek.   
  
Ginny came up to him and smiled. "You know, Harry.. I can't wait to see you again. I wonder if you'll miss me." she grinned up at him.  
  
"Hmm... maybe..." Harry said, which earned him a swat from Ginny. The twins had been right. She swung pretty hard. "HAHA... I was just joking, Ginny... of course I'll miss you. Write me okay?" He said as she walked off with her mother. She turned around and grinned cheekily at him.  
  
"You ready, boy?" said Vernon.  
  
"Almost... let me just see if The Knight girls and Nevaeh need a ride." said Harry.  
  
"You'll do no such thing!" growled Vernon. He grabbed Harry's arm and dragged him to the waiting car.  
  
"Harry! Hey! I wanted to ask you something!" shouted Astra as she ran over. Uncle Vernon stopped trying to stuff him into the car.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Well... I was wondering... since you were going to either the Weasley's or yer godfather's house during the summer, that if we couldn't come over sometime before September first? My mom is afraid that we'll be late in coming." she said.  
  
"Yeah... sure.. go ahead. I don't think either one of them will mind." said Harry.   
  
She walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek and gave him a great big hug. "Be safe, Har..." Then, she broke away. "We don't want you to get blown up before yer seventh year now do we!" she giggled.  
  
"That's up to JK Rowling for that one. Thanks!" cried Harry as he was finally stuffed into the car. 


End file.
